This blog is going into retirement.

I started blogging film reviews on April 4, 2013, the day that Roger Ebert, an icon in film criticism, passed away. Both Ebert and Gene Siskel were essentially my introduction to film criticism as a legitimate practice, rather than just a way to measure what an aggregate thought of the movie or an excuse to make lame jokes. At the time I started writing, people had recommended that I should start a blog because of how I often posted my opinions about films on Facebook and how articulate I was on those posts.  Ebert's passing was a sign for me to take that chance and find an outlet to express what I thought about filmmaking as a craft, mainly focusing on the technical aspects of filmmaking that I had learned from University and how those techniques were employed to tell the story at hand.

That was why I started Remini-scenes.

And now it's time to finish it.

A lot of events and things coincided to make this decision abundantly clear to me.

1. Burn-out.
After the last few months of 2017, when I completed my Nicholson-Meryl-thon, I was exhausted. I was astounded that I actually bothered to do something like that without thinking about how it was going to affect my schedule or my mentality, and possibly my tolerance for those actors in certain roles. At a certain point, writing those things became an obligation rather than actual fun, especially when I had to watch or rewatch movies that I didn't like. I got a lot of milage out of reviewing those things, a lot of readers from across the globe, but it still wasn't fun for me, so I gave up on that entirely. I love that I got to talk about the scale of a lot of cinematic universes, two actors' incredibly noteworthy careers, and even getting a chance to highlight some films made by fellow Canadians. Those efforts were incredibly fun and gratifying when I was finished, but the process of it became more gruelling as time passed and the landscape of my life changed.

2. #MeToo and the downfall of certain influencers.
I've written a lot of reviews where I talked about films made by people who have been at the centre of controversy since the #MeToo movement started in October 2017. People like Harvey Weinstein, Roman Polanski and to a much lesser extent Bryan Singer had an impact on my life and the kinds of movies I watched a lot of, whether because of how widespread their influence is, personal admiration for their craft, or just how consistently they pop up in certain genres. I'm happy with a lot of things I said about their films when I wrote those reviews, but not all of them, and I don't feel like I can willingly talk about any of their other works on a public forum like this for a long time. The same goes for online influencers, some of whom had a bigger impact on my style than I would want to admit. I don't rewatch a lot of the old Honest Trailers any more, and I've completely abandoned Channel Awesome; in the latter case, I instead follow the staff and writers I admire who used to work for that company, watching Lindsay Ellis and Kyle Kallgren regularly because of how well researched, fun, or honest they are on their own. Time will tell if I'm able to look at any of these filmmakers and influencers and see to what extent they really impacted me, but I don't feel like that's happening very soon.

3. Guillermo del Toro winning Best Director and Best Picture.
Well, now I don't know who to stand up for! The voting body of the Academy gave proper respects to my favourite filmmaker of all time. Why should I honestly care about anything regarding the Academy Awards anymore!? At this point, I don't and shouldn't. I finally got some gratification out of one of these awards seasons, the first time that had happened since 2013 and 2003 before then. The Academy and I very rarely share tastes in our concept of 'best movies' anymore, and it's not something that I'm going to use as a reference for what movies I want to make.

4. Mistaking my personal perception of a film for the general perception.
This is a thing that's especially relevant in my longer think pieces, more so than in my reviews. Me saying stuff like Zero Dark Thirty coming out too close to the events it depicted and thus making it feel like propaganda was something that I felt rather than what I saw the majority of critics or audiences say about it. That's the main instance of it I can think of, but I do need to stop thinking about my opinions being the centre of the universe, something I've tried my best to avoid in my writing, but sometimes still slips through the cracks. I've made generalizations to better fit my narrative, which is not something that you should be doing as a critic.

5. I'm now officially working in the film industry.
In 2017, I was a locations production assistant on Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy, the closing film at last year's TIFF. I have not seen the finished film myself, although it is apparently scheduled for release this April and I very much look forward to seeing it in the theatre. I honestly couldn't be more happy that this was my first production. I took the chance, got my name out there, and worked for pay on a film which featured filmmakers and actors I admired, wherein I learned a lot and felt ready for any challenge put before me. I've since worked on three other productions in Winnipeg, and with luck I'll be able to continue that through the ensuing years... assuming that my cold-weather gear actually works, because winter in Manitoba is a known hater of everything and everyone. I'm not a feature writer-director yet, I'm aware of that. This is just one stepping stone toward achieving that goal.

6. Echo.
This was the other. I couldn't be more proud of how my audio drama Echo has turned out. This show started as a College project, and has since transformed into something else entirely. It essentially was a dare that I gave to myself to make this series the way that I did, and it became an outlet to express a story that was all my own. It may wear its influences on its sleeve, but the story and characters are my creation. That is something I hesitated to do for so long, and now I've done it. I am grateful to everyone who made that possible, be they my family, my actors, my script editors, my composer, my supporters on Kickstarter, you all gave me the chance to tell this story. And now that I'm close to the end of telling that story and planning to tell even more going forward, I feel like it would be unfair to criticize other peoples' work in public. There are so many storytellers out there who put their hearts on the line to make art that they are proud of and that matter to them. In amongst all the industry and the marketing and the commercialization of films and stories, a lot of people make them because they love them and want to express themselves through them. I took the initiative to do that for myself, and anyone who does that deserves to be proud of it. I therefore feel like I shouldn't criticize their hard work as if I'm absolutely right anymore.


I feel incredibly fortunate that people have read this blog for so long and seem to have enjoyed it. I've never been openly criticized for my opinions on this blog. I suppose I'm quite lucky on that front. Hopefully, whatever I've written here has not hurt anyone else's opinion of these films or offended anyone for any reason. I'm just a nerd who tried his best to say what he felt over the course of 6 years. Hopefully, it was the passion for film that came through more than anything, and the things that I cared about and appreciated were what resonated the most with everyone who read these reviews.

Speaking for myself, not everything that I've written on this blog is necessarily my best work or stuff that I'm completely proud of. However, I don't think I should necessarily get rid of these reviews just because I'm not going to write them anymore. Depending on how this blog is affected by the discontinuation of Google+, I'm going to try going through my old reviews and editing them slightly so that I can remove some of the things that don't quite reflect my personality anymore without completely altering the opinions that I had. If not that, I will catalogue some of the reviews and posts that I'm most proud of and transfer them over to a new website, whenever I decide to make one.

*UPDATE: As of May 2022, I have decided to revert the majority of my posts back to draft form. This is a personal choice. If I should decide to revisit some of my old reviews and find them satisfactorily written and/or for the most part still reflective of how I feel, I will re-upload them at a later date.*

If you've been a fan for a long time and still want to know what I think, feel and understand about different subjects, you can find me on Instagram. Keep your eyes open for updates on when I'm producing new works, like new episodes of my podcasts, or just exciting events that I'll be attending in the future.

Skye Thorleifson - Instagram: @daskyethor

Echo now has six episodes available, currently distributed on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker and other podcast apps through Anchor.fm. The last two will be made available on Fridays over the course of the next two weeks. Being a narrative podcast, you will have to start with 'Episode 1 - Welcome to the Earth', which I will link to here. Be sure to leave a review, and follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Echo - Episode 1: iTunes link
Echo - Instagram: @echopodcast2019

I'm very happy to have worked on this project for such a long time, but with nearly 300 posts and 6 years experience, it's time for a change. Thank you all for joining me on this journey.


"What I owe you is beyond evaluation."
-Alec Guinness (actor) and Robert Bolt (screenwriter), 'Lawrence of Arabia'

My Favourite Movies of 2018

Hi! Miss me?

I won't preamble anymore than I need to, a lot of stuff has consumed my life. This blog to a distant backseat to my new podcast, 'Echo'.  However, I am loyal to this one tradition, and I've done my best to watch as many movies as I can prior to the Oscars, as usual. I've missed some stuff, but at this point, they're comparatively smaller titles. I'm content with this list being as it is while I continue to plough through the rest of the year's films. I love cinema now just as much as I did when I last posted, so if you're at all curious anymore, I feel it's only right to present to you this epic list of masterpieces.

Here, therefore, are my blindspots for 2018, the films I have yet to see but most desperately want to:

Blindspotting
Burning
Cold War
The Hate U Give
Mid90s
Minding the Gap
Rafiki
Shoplifters
Support the Girls
The Tale


And here for the briefest moment are my honourable mentions, in alphabetical order:

Black Panther
I understand a lot of the more legitimate criticisms directed toward the rushed finale and iffy special effects, but the film itself deserves so much credit for being so thrilling, thought-provoking and empowering for people the world over. Ryan Coogler, Michael B. Jordan and the rest of the cast and crew deserve every laurel they've earned so far. Marvel's game only got stronger for this film existing.

Eighth Grade
I wonder if I empathize with teenagers a bit more easily as an adult than I ever did as an actual teen. Either way, Eighth Grade is a wonderfully sincere film that captures the awkwardness of early high school while also being very funny, and tugging at your heart strings. Elsie Fisher is an actress to treasure.

The Favourite
Yorgos Lanthimos only becomes more fascinating with every film, and The Favourite is certainly his most grandiose statement of his aesthetic. Sharply written, bizarrely shot and acted to perfection by stars Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone and Olivia Coleman, this is one costume drama that's hard to forget.

The Old Man and the Gun
This marks the end of Robert Redford's acting career, and while director David Lowery insists that it wasn't made as a swan song, the film feels so sincere as a tribute to Redford's astounding legacy. Redford is charming as ever, and it's refreshing to watch a film that is both artful and optimistic.

They Shall Not Grow Old
Peter Jackson's documentary featuring restorations of film footage from the Great War is just as fascinating as a technical feat as it is heartfelt as a tribute to the soldiers who fought and died. It creates a potent image of life in the war, and leaves you in stunned silence afterwards.


Thus begins:

My 10 Favourite Films of 2018

10. First Reformed



It's very easy to draw parallels between First Reformed and any number of films from writer-director Paul Schrader's past. Most other critics have emphasized his seminal work as a writer on Scorsese's Taxi Driver. I myself have drawn parallels to his other Scorsese project The Last Temptation of Christ. It's an interesting comparison, for sure, but I wonder if that takes away from how truly powerful Schrader's latest masterwork is on its own terms. Schrader has captured in microcosm the perspective of people who make themselves live in constant doubt, questioning of their faith and their humanity, which makes for one of the most powerful religious dramas in recent memory, better even than Scorsese's own Silence. Ethan Hawke stands front and centre in this film and gives a career-defining performance, my personal favourite by an actor in 2018. Without even raising his voice, he conveys so much inner turmoil as he has to confront the questions of people in his community and the demons that his mind won't release, no matter how much everyone around him insists he must. The whole of First Reformed is stark, subdued and visceral, and it should be discussed just as much as a career highlight for both its star and its director as it has been discussed as a small chapter in their stories.


9. The Other Side of the Wind




It took more than 40 years to release Orson Welles' last feature film to the public, let alone in the theatre. The Other Side of the Wind could not have been more worth the wait. With a restoration of sorts overseen by producer Frank Marshall and director Peter Bogdonavich, Welles' wild and bizarre mesh of arthouse pretension and scathing satire of the 70s film industry comes vividly to life, whether on the small screen or the large. Welles and Oja Kodar's writing is so clever, whip-smart, and relevant in its critique of the audacious, controlling film director - played by the irreplaceable John Huston - that you would swear the two of them had a crystal ball to see the state of the industry today. What's perhaps more impressive for a film that stayed incomplete for so long is the editing is so tight, sharp and aggressive. The whole thing is such a rush, jumping between two separate styles of filmmaking, each presented masterfully in their own way, and I was locked to the screen throughout the entire movie; even in its moments of odd continuity errors, it feels so effective as a critique of the films of the French New Wave or Federico Felinni. I have yet to watch the companion documentary for this film, They'll Love Me When I'm Dead, although I most definitely plan to after experiencing the film for the marvel that it is all its own.


8. Won't You Be My Neighbor?




It's been said by more than one person that Won't You Be My Neighbor? will restore your faith in humanity just ever so slightly... I won't presume anything... But even as someone who did not grow up watching Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, I needed this movie to remind me that there are caring people in this world who want us to see ourselves in the very best light. Morgan Neville, who also made the previously mentioned They'll Love Me When I'm Dead, does not shy away from being sentimental with this new documentary, and in this context, that's absolutely the best thing you could do. The show overflows with a feeling of nostalgia and love, but not simply because the show made children happy. It's looking back on an era when a man like Fred Rogers would do everything he could to speak to every child as an intelligent human being and convey to them what they ought to know about the world, in both bright and dark times. This is the type of communication that is seriously lacking not merely in children's programming, but in so many fields the world over. There was one moment alone that proved to me that this movie mattered more than any other documentary I saw this year, a scene where I could not help but think to myself, 'I wish someone had said this to me as a kid.' I will only give you one word: duet... now excuse me while I cry. Watch this movie. Just do it. It may just be the best medicine you could ask for.


7. Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse




WHAT IS GOING OOOOON!!!??? If any of you out there still remembers my Marvel movie marathon from about two years ago, you should know that I do not have a fond relationship with Spider-Man; I did not watch the Tobey Maguire movies as a teenager, I could not connect with them when I finally watched them in my University days, and I have been continuously underwhelmed by his other films since then. I was therefore skeptical of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse basically from the get-go, aside from the possibility that the animation would look cool. Well, not only does it look cool, it's also well written, well acted, well structured, and basically a masterpiece of both the animation field and the superhero genre. The film is vibrant from head to toe, with colour, style and attitude flying at you left and right. The voice cast is off-the-charts, featuring Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali, Lily Tomlin, and the best ever use of Nicholas Cage in a superhero movie (which may not be saying a lot, but still!) So much care clearly went into the creation of this film, from the directors to the writers to the entire animation crew, and in a year where we lost an icon like Stan Lee, it feels so right to see one of his most iconic creations given such a - pardon the pun - Amazing film. I can finally say this unironically: Into the Spider-Verse is the best Spider-Man movie that has ever been made. Try to argue otherwise; you will lose.


6. Widows




You may disagree with me if you have a much shorter attention span, but Widows may just be the single strongest piece of pure entertainment I saw in 2018. Steve McQueen's follow up to the 2013 masterpiece 12 Years a Slave is not short on social commentary in its own right, pressing on issues like inter-racial marriage, the economic divide, and of course, its heavy emphasis on the struggles of its female leads. Even if it didn't have those things, however, I feel like I could not have been more utterly engrossed in this masterful slow-burn of a heist movie. Co-written by Gone Girl's Gillian Flynn, McQueen's film is presented so confidently and is so expertly crafted that you savour every second of the ladies planning their stakeout, taking their enemies' names and doing everything they can to survive for the sake of their families, their livelihoods and their dignity. Everyone in this movie is perfectly cast, with Viola Davis owning every scene she's in and yet still having to compete with the likes of Cynthia Erivo, Elizabeth Debicki and Danial Kaluuya. Widows left me riveted in every way. It may not be the most traditionally entertaining film of the year, but it's the kind of entertainment that I absolutely relish.


5. The Rider




Chloé Zhao's The Rider is the most unassuming film on this list. It does not strive to overwhelm you with spectacle or make you feel big grand emotions, and it's not driven by star power. In fact, none of the cast members are even professionally trained actors, just a rodeo rider, his family, and his friends. But it's that same quiet simplicity that made it so touching and so beautiful while I was watching it. Brady Jandreau's leading performance works so well because there aren't any actorly inflections in it. The words that he says hit so much harder because he says them like any ordinary person would. The film leaves you heartbroken at his desire to ride in the rodeo again, just as much as it makes you feel uplifted by the way he interacts with his horses or with another severely injured rider. All the while, the film draws you nearer to it with beautiful photography by Joshua James Richards. I was surprised to find myself watching this movie with an aunt, and we both had the same reaction to it. This was possibly the movie going experience that I was most touched by, and that unexpected company made it all the better as well.


4. Sorry to Bother You




Sorry to Bother You is the most insane movie to come out of 2018, which is both a blessing and a curse. I attended a screening of this film where there were maybe just seven people in attendance, and I'm not really surprised by that. In his directorial debut, Boots Riley has thrown everything into his savage takedown of corporate and racial inequality in the world of... telemarketing!? You know what, I'm not gonna question that. I hate talking on the phone for a living as much as anybody does, why not make a movie that takes it down a peg but with way more style and a lot more visual insanity!? Nearly every scene in this film features some kind of subtext, something in the background you may not notice the first time. Out of all of these, I most look forward to revisiting this film and picking up on all of its disparate ideas. Much like Get Out last year, the film is sharp in its commentary while also being riotously funny. Also, I just want to say this: I'm so glad that Tessa Thompson had a huge year. She was in so many features this year. Between this movie, my #3 movie, Season 2 of Westworld, even in just an average film like Creed II, she's such a talented actress and she deserves this kind of attention from studios. Sorry to Bother You is not the most accessible of those films, but it deserves to be seen for its audacity. Boots Riley clearly went all out with his debut, and in spite all of the crazy things that bombard the viewer at every moment, it absolutely, unquestionably works. I can't wait to see what he does next.


3. Annihilation




Existentialism... Do I really need to explain my love for this movie anymore than that? Alex Garland has followed up Ex Machina with yet another science fiction masterpiece, this time bringing a heavy dosage of Andrei Tarkovsky with him for safe measure. Annihilation's meaning has been debated by more than a few people the world over, whether it be symbolic of depression, disease, or just how significant humans truly are in the universe. I have my own idea of what concept it is trying to convey, but even before you start questioning what its meaning is, you have to see the film for yourself. This movie is filled with some of the most stunning imagery I've seen all year, with beautiful visual effects, art direction and creature designs peppered throughout. It features the heaviest atmosphere of any movie this year, some of the finest subdued performances from Natalie Portman and (yep) Tessa Thompson, and it contains the single scariest scene of any movie in years, better than any horror movie could even try to match. It does make me somewhat sad that so few people got to see this movie on the big screen before it was rushed to Netflix; the film works best when you let it envelop you with its majesty, its ideas and its complex emotions. Hopefully, the wider distribution on Netflix has benefited the film slightly more than the box office returns would indicated. The movie deserves to be discussed in the same conversation as other recent thinking-mans sci-fi like Under the Skin and Arrival. I also look forward to finding someone who will have that conversation with me, but one step at a time.


2. BlacKkKlansman




It's about goddamn time for another great Spike Lee joint. From Do the Right Thing to Malcolm X to 25th Hour, Spike Lee owns a place on my list of all time favourite directors. His filmography is not perfect, but when he has absolute control over a film, it is something to behold. BlacKkKlansman is his sharpest, funniest, most provocative and most complete film of this decade, and one of his very finest films. People can take the historical account of this film as they will, but the style, presentation, writing and acting are more than enough to make this stand out above any need for absolute accuracy. John David Washington and Adam Driver are amazing both separately and together, giving the audience an amazing dynamic that makes you laugh at one point and sear with rage the next. The photography and editing are beautiful, and the ending left me absolutely stunned in the absolute right way. The second that this movie began all the way until it ended, I was convinced that this was the year the Spike Lee was going to win Best Director. At this point, it only makes sense. No other director who released a film in 2018 has the same kind of legacy as Spike Lee, and it's about time that he was acknowledged for it. This is the year that he most deserves this kind of award, and this is the movie he deserves it for.


And then it happened.


1. Roma



I tried to think of whether or not I could give this position to BlacKkKlansman. For a long time after I saw it, I just wanted the year to end so that I could name it the best of the year. But how can I complain when the film that takes its place is Alfonso Cuarón's Roma!? No other film took me off-guard the way that this movie did. I joked on Twitter before seeing it, asking if I was ready for what Cuarón was going to throw at me... That's a very subjective question. I was ready to see what perspective Cuarón would present the film from, but I wasn't ready for where that film was going to take that character. Yalitza Aparicio gives a performance that I don't want to ruin by describing it in too many superfluous words. Like Hawke and Jandreau did in First Reformed and The Rider, she draws you in without asking you to pay attention to her. She just carries you through the life of this housemaid living in Mexico City as she watches her life and the family she works for slowly come apart at the seams, lifting your spirit and breaking your heart all the way through. Cuarón likewise does so much without imposing anything on the audience, shooting the film himself with simple set-ups and long takes, employing no musical score, and just letting you watch this lady and this family live. He does not manipulate, he does not compromise, and he does not take the easy way out of any of these situations. I can think of a number of films that this film reminds me of, but at this point, none of them matter so much as how Roma made me feel in the moment on its own. These are feelings that I had never expected to feel, but often felt like I ought to. No other film in 2018 has made me feel so empathetic to its main characters. No other film succeeds like it does in every single way. Welcome to Roma.


In the tradition of the person who started this blog long ago, here are my predictions for who will be nominated for Best Picture before the nominations are announced in the morning:

The top five, in alphabetical order:
BlacKkKlansman
The Favourite
Green Book
Roma
A Star is Born

The next most likely:
Black Panther
Bohemian Rhapsody
If Beale Street Could Talk
Vice

More than any other race in the last few years, I feel the need to emphasize that I'm only saying I expect these films to get nominated, not that I want them to. I wish Widows was in the conversation as I had initially expected, but I can't bank on my indulgence picks anymore. I've grown wise to that problem.


I'll see you in the morning.

'Echo' - my new audio drama podcast - is now on Kickstarter!

Imagine you can't see anything. You lost your sight long ago, and can only rely on what you hear to tell you about your surroundings.  Now imagine being trapped in a place that is completely unfamiliar, a cave deep in the Earth. You've been abandoned there by your fellow humans and left to die. Your only companion is an ancient, powerful monster with skin of solid rock. Is this monster here to harm you, or could it be your only chance of surviving this place and reaching the surface?



'Echo' is my new audio drama podcast which I am producing as part of my education at Red River College. As a student, I am partially producing it for marks. However, my main goal in completing it is simply to tell a story that is worth telling. I've wanted to pursue a project like this for a long time, and this is the best chance I've ever had to do so.

The show premieres in January 2019. I have finished writing the scripts for all eight episodes, and I am now looking for actors to play the different characters.

The show is progressing, but now it needs your help.

If you have enjoyed my work on this blog or on my podcast 'Adaptational', please help me bring this story to life. I have launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise $2500 toward the project. Please donate, and share the campaign with your friends.

I'm so excited to finally bring this show to you guys. It means a lot to me, and I will be very grateful for any help you can provide.

To donate to my Kickstarter, please click here.

Also, follow the show's progress on social media, and share these links with your friends:
Facebook: Echo Podcast
Twitter: @echopodcast2019
Instagram: @echopodcast2019

Thank you all.

Welcome to the Earth.

2017 Academy Awards Retrospective

A Little Princess...

Amores perros...

Y tu mamá también...

21 Grams...

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban...

Children of Men...

Pan's Labyrinth...

Babel...

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army...

Biutiful...

Gravity...

Birdman...

The Revenant...

The Shape of Water.

The Three Amigos. Cuarón... Iñárritu... del Toro. United in Oscar glory at last!

I will not lie, I may not have said that he was my favourite director of 2017, but when Guillermo del Toro won Best Director last night, I cried victorious tears... and then cried more victorious tears when The Shape of Water won the night entire!!! The first fantasy since Return of the King to win Best Director and Best Picture, and it's about damn time! I don't even care if it messed up my ballot to a tie with last year's all-time low of 14/24 correct. del Toro is my modern icon. He's a fantasist, a humanitarian, an incredible visual stylist, an incredibly sincere person, the best speech writer in history, he even gave a dedication to young filmmakers everywhere which gave me just the slightest bit of hope... You've earned this, del Toro! No one can take this away from you... not even Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway!

Honestly, like 2015, even if I was wrong in an uncomfortable amount of categories, I'm happy that I was because I could not fault the films that won in each category. I know I came down hard on Three Billboards in my build-up to this point, but that was more paranoia over the possibility that I may end up having an all-new Birdman... and even in that case, I may be able to look at Birdman in a new light now that the three Mexicans finally share this honour. By the time the Screenplay awards came and went, I finally settled into the assurance that Three Billboards wasn't going to win, at which point, I could easily say, Rockwell and McDormand were the right people to honour from that particular movie - and that they were two of the other best speechifiers of the entire evening!  As I said in my live tweet when McDormand called for all the female nominees to stand up together at once, "McDormand, YOU WIN EVERYTHING!" Her speech was so good that even if you didn't know what 'inclusion rider' meant, you knew it was something powerful and important and it meant something to everyone there! I'll say it: I'm actually glad she won, because otherwise, we would not have gotten that epic a moment!

The rest of the ceremony, no matter however wrong I was, honestly goes without saying. Although, I was surprised by how few gaps there were between really great speeches. After Rockwell dedicated his Oscar to Philip Seymour Hoffman - bravo - I feel like it took until Sound Mixing and Gary Rizzo, who may not have given that unique a speech, but it was the cutaway to his daughter sitting in his seat, that made me think: Any nominee who brings their child with them to the Oscars is officially the BEST PARENT EVER!!! More great moments especially came from the screenwriters. James Ivory was beautifully subdued and honestly lyrical in his acceptance of Call Me by Your Name's one Oscar, proving that he's great at more than just writing speeches in scripts but in reality too... And then Jordan Peele won! And I screamed in joy! I had expected Greta Gerwig to be the upset in this category, but this was just as awesome, if not slightly more so, as the first African-American screenwriter to win this award! He may be one of the few filmmakers to actively thank the audience for going to see his film; it was our pleasure, sir! Gary Oldman had a lovely moment himself, paying tribute to his 99-years-young mother, asking her to 'put the kettle on', that was wonderful. Allison Janney could have stopped at 'I did it all by myself' and I would have unquestionably believed her, that was awesome. Rachel Shanton signing during her speech on behalf of her young star, what a wonderful way to represent her. Coco winning Best Animated Film, and the music being cut off just in time to allow Robert Lopez to pay tribute to his mother, amazing- Stop me now or I'll drown!

The winners that I got wrong were all pretty well-deserved in their own right. It probably counts as an accomplishment that Blade Runner 2049 won both Visual Effects and the long overdue Cinematography for Roger Deakins. Those two often go together, but it gives that film which not a lot of people saw in theatres a lot of well-deserved validation...

...

I guess that's the only one that I hadn't yet mentioned, so I'll just move on by saying, the rest of the ceremony was very entertaining too!

Now I will be fair, I did not get to hear all of Kimmel's punchlines during the evening, as I was too busy trying to think of my own jokes on Twitter, but I will continue to say this, he is absolutely a natural host for this show. The jet-ski skit was an amusing addition to the show, and hey, it went to the one award-winner from my favourite movie of the year, Phantom Thread! Nice job, Mark Bridges, you got something extra! What's more, though, the 'prank' this year, with the film-going audience and thanking them for going to the movies, that was friggin' awesome! It compensates for the bit of awkwardness that happened last year with the random bus tour, and it made the night feel so optimistic and friendly, which was a very good counterpoint to all the other very important statements that were made during the ceremony.

As expected, this was a very political evening, a potent reminder of the events of last year regarding female representation and the outing of Harvey Weinstein. There were so many very good moments of tribute, including the montage to the 'trail-blazers' of Hollywood, and those spectacular introductions to every single acting category! I want that editor's job so much, because they are absolutely boss! Emma Stone's got some serious spunk based on her line, 'These four men and Greta Gerwig'! YEAH! Also, if the Academy wants to do themselves some good next year, I have two suggestions... or three, just so that I can be fair to all of them: either hire Kumail Nanjiani... or Tiffany Haddish and Maya Rudolph as next year's host! They're all amazing presenters, they're hilarious, they gave life to the ceremony while also being very frank about current events, they'd do a great job next year! Make it happen!!!

I have been satisfied. There's nothing else that needs to be done. I do not need to win a ballot this year, because everything feels somehow right with the universe. It was a tense night for some time, but I can say that every winner for the year 2017 earned their piece and made their time to say what they needed to damn well worth it.

Now all that needs to happen is Nolan, Anderson and Gerwig tie for whatever they do next... how likely its that at this moment? Eh, it don't matter.

I'll see you in the coming year folks! Spread the love to each other!

"Inclusion rider!"

Oscar Predictions 2017 - summary

You ready for your cheat sheet? Here y'are:

Best Animated Feature

My Pick and Dark Horse: The Breadwinner - Nora Twomey and Anthony Leo
Winner: Coco - Lee Unkrich and Darla K. Anderson

Best Animated Short Film

Winner: Garden Party - Victor Caire and Gabriel Grapperon
Dark Horse: Dear Basketball - Glen Keane and Kobe Bryant

Best Documentary Feature

My Pick and Dark Horse: Icarus - Bryan Fogel and Dan Cogan
Winner: Faces Places - Agnès Varda, JR and Rosalie Varda

Best Documentary (Short Subject)

Winner: Edith+Eddie - Laura Checkoway and Thomas Lee Wright

Dark Horse: Heroin(e) - Elaine McMillion Sheldon and Kerrin Sheldon

Best Foreign Language Film

My Pick and Dark Horse: The Square - Sweden

Winner: A Fantastic Woman - Chile

Best Live-Action Short Film

Winner: DeKalb Elementary - Reed Van Dyk

Dark Horse: Everything else

Best Cinematography

My Pick and Winner: Roger Deakins - Blade Runner 2049

Dark Horse: Hoyte van Hoytema - Dunkirk

Best Costume Design

My Pick and Winner: Mark Bridges - Phantom Thread

Dark Horses: Jacqueline Durran - Beauty and the Beast

Best Film Editing

My Pick and Winner: Lee Smith - Dunkirk

Dark Horse: Paul Machliss and Jonathan Amos - Baby Driver

Best Makeup and Hair Styling

My Pick and Winner: Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski and Lucy Siddick - Darkest Hour

Dark Horse: Arjen Tuiten - Wonder

Best Original Score

My Pick and Dark Horse: Jonny Greenwood - Phantom Thread

Winner: Alexandre Desplat - The Shape of Water

Best Original Song

My Pick and Dark Horse: "Mighty River" - Mudbound - Music and Lyrics by Mary J. Blige, Raphael Saadiq and Taura Stinson
Winner: "This is Me" - The Greatest Showman - Music and Lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

Best Production Design

My Pick and Winner: Paul Denham Austerberry, Shane Vieau and Jeff Melvin - The Shape of Water

Dark Horse: Dennis Gassner and Alessandra Querzola - Blade Runner 2049

Best Sound Editing

My Pick and Winner: Nathan Robitaille and Nelson Ferreira - The Shape of Water

Dark Horse: Richard King and Alex Gibson - Dunkirk

Best Sound Mixing

My Pick and Winner: Mark Weingarten, Gregg Landaker and Gary A Rizzo - Dunkirk

Dark Horse: Julian Slater, Tim Cave-in and Mary H. Ellis - Baby Driver

Best Visual Effects

My Pick and Winner: Joe Letteri, Daniel Barrett, Dan Lemmon and Joel Whist - War for the Planet of the Apes

Dark Horse: Ben Morris, Mike Mulholland, Neal Scanlan and Chris Corbould - Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Best Writing - Original Screenplay

My Pick and Dark Horse: Greta Gerwig - Lady Bird

Winner: Martin McDonagh - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Writing - Adapted Screeplay

My Pick and Winner: James Ivory - Call Me by Your Name

Dark Horse: Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber - The Disaster Artist

Best Supporting Actress

My Pick and Secondary Dark Horse: Lesley Manville - Phantom Thread
Winner: Allison Janney - I, Tonya

Dark Horse: Laurie Metcalf - Lady Bird

Best Supporting Actor

My Pick and Winner: Willem Dafoe - The Florida Project

Dark Horse: Sam Rockwell - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Actor

My Pick and Dark Horse: Daniel Day-Lewis - Phantom Thread

Winner: Gary Oldman - Darkest Hour

Best Actress

My Pick and Dark Horse: Sally Hawkins - The Shape of Water

My Other Pick and Secondary Dark Horse: Margot Robbie - I, Tonya
Winner: Frances McDormand - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Director

My Pick: Paul Thomas Anderson - Phantom Thread

Winner: Guillermo del Toro - The Shape of Water
Dark Horse: Christopher Nolan - Dunkirk

Best Picture

My Pick: Phantom Thread - JoAnne Sellar, Paul Thomas Anderson, Megan Ellison and Daniel Lupi

Winner: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin and Martin McDonagh
Dark Horse: The Shape of Water - Guillermo del Toro and J. Miles Dale


Your final tally (bold for major releases):
The Shape of Water - 4
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - 3
Darkest Hour - 2
Dunkirk - 2
Blade Runner 2049 - 1
Call Me by Your Name - 1
Coco - 1
DeKalb Elementary - 1
Edith+Eddie - 1
Faces Places - 1
A Fantastic Woman - 1
The Florida Project - 1
Garden Party - 1
The Greatest Showman - 1
I, Tonya - 1
Phantom Thread - 1
War for the Planet of the Apes - 1

There doesn't seem to be any real massive success out of this lot, but I don't think it's that kind of year. The most that could happen is that Three Billboards and The Shape of Water could swap spots on the tally above, which I will try to remain calm about, because people do like both of them, I just like one of them less than most people.

I ultimately did land on Three Billboards winning Best Picture, because for the last seven years, with the exception of Birdman and The Artist, the winner in this category has not been the frontrunner in terms of nominations, nor has it won the most awards of that given year, nor has it won Best Director. It would actually be joining Argo as the winner without a nomination, which is really weirdly consistent for it to happen twice in one decade. As I said last year, the Academy does seem to favour the message movie these days, even at the expense of patting themselves on the back; Three Billboards definitely has the most blatantly modern message of all the films nominated, so it's a pretty safe bet at this point. The Shape of Water is its obvious competition, and people seem fairly evenly split on which one of those two will win. Dunkirk has the closest chance of upsetting the established order, which I would actually approve of, considering the artistic feat that it is.

Is this a year that really favours my personal opinion? I don't think so. I want it to, but it's not likely. At this point, just take what ya can. I know exactly which films I'm adding to my Blu-Ray collection - since I'm the only person in Canada who still buys those things, 'cuz I like physical property. I'm sure everyone else will know which of each of these films appeals to them. More power to them.

Have a lovely night!