Winners and Losers to Catch

If you missed the big night for the 91st Academy Awards, or didn't see many of the movies, I can fill you in on who won and what stood out. At least some of these films are still in theaters and many appear on various smart TV options like On Demand, Netflix, etc.

Green Book, winner in the Best Picture and Original Screenplay categories, was a truly worthy choice but not the blockbuster I expected for Best Picture. It's the historical tale of Don Shirley, a pianist and composer played by Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) who's part of an all-black trio performing in the deep South in the early '60s. Shirley and his white driver, Tony Lip, portrayed by Viggo Mortensen, are polar opposites, the former an accomplished, sophisticated musician with a doctorate, and the latter an Italian bouncer from Brooklyn who needed a job. The pair  begins to bond when the slurs and slights fly like arrows in local venues and towns. Heartfelt portrayals by Ali and Mortensen carry the weight of the story, based on true events and people, for a powerful message about prejudice, and friendship that grows from mutual understanding and respect. The film's title is taken from The Negro Motorist Green Book, published from 1936 to 1967 as a guide for African American travelers who sought a "vacation without aggravation." Ali's exemplary film and TV resume is impressive for a guy with an understated dignity. He picked up the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor and will surely be an Emmy nominee for his role in the HBO TV series, True Detective. Check out Green Book. It's a movie you don't want to miss.

The blockbuster I was rooting for is Bohemian Rhapsody, a nominee for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, but winner at the Golden Globes for best Drama Motion Picture. Rami Malek, as lead singer Freddie Mercury in the British rock group Queen, won best Actor in a Leading Role after picking up similar trophies at the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild events. I knew next to nothing about Queen except that Freddie Mercury died of AIDS in the 80's. As Mercury, Malek embodies the performer's effusive style and command of the audience, and with fellow actor musicians recreates the playlist of electric, high-powered songs from Queen's 1985 Live Aid concert. Everyone agreed Queen stole the show. It was completely unexpected at the time since they'd been relatively dormant for several years and were scheduled between two much bigger acts with worldwide fan bases -- U2 and Elton John. While the movie ends with that explosive performance, it's the tangled history of the band and Mercury's own story arc that infuse so much heart and get under your skin. In addition to Malek's Oscar for an over-the-top portrayal of Mercury's troubled life, the film picked up additional Oscars for Film Editing, Sound Mixing, and Sound Editing. It's a must see movie even if you don't know a thing about Queen. You just might recognize some of the songs, like We Will Rock You, I Want to Break Free, Ay-Oh, and Another One Bites the Dust. 

If Beale Street Could Talk did not receive a nomination for Best Picture, unfortunately, but Regina King (Netflix Seven Seconds) took home the Oscar for best Actress in a Supporting Role. The film is based on a novel by James Baldwin and is directed by Barry Jenkins. Gorgeous cinematography casts a spell for an intimate portrayal of two shy black youth in New York's Beale Street neighborhood as they fall head-over-heels in love. The tenderness of the young couple floats off the screen in lush impressionistic images as we get to know their world and families, in which some viewers may find similarities to their own. But love, peace and harmony are disrupted by circumstances and a crooked cop who turns the sweetness sour. As Sharon, the unflinching mother of the girl, King exhibits the same steely determination of her character in Seven Seconds. Beale Street exudes a poignancy that builds slowly in shades of romantic love that may leave you wishing for more.



British actress Olivia Colman (wonderful in Broadchurch BBC America) received the Oscar for best Actress in a Leading Role as a disheveled, childish and mercurial queen unworthy of her crown in The Favourite. The competition was stiff, with Glenn Close (The Wife), Lady Gaga (A Star Is Born), Yalitza Aparicio (Roma), and Melissa McCarthy (Can You Ever Forgive Me?) in contention. Colman was flustered yet winsome in accepting the award. She gazed down from the stage at Glenn Close in the front row to apologize: "....you've been my idol for so long, and this is not how I wanted it to be, and I think you're amazing." As for the film, it's a wacky and frequently humorous behind-the-curtain take on the top royal and her pet people who fall in and out of favor on a whim. Sound familiar? Not my cup of British tea, but critics and others loved it to pieces.

The movie with arguably the highest decibel of hype (full page Netflix ads in newspapers and magazines) was Roma, which received Oscars for best Directing, Cinematography and Foreign Language Film. A charming Alfonso Cuaron wrote and directed the autobiographical story based on his childhood. It's told from the perspective of the live-in housekeeper and nanny, Cleo, played by Yalitza Aparicio, who provides care, affection and support for his family, especially the children. I found the depictions of daily tasks, family dinners, marital disharmony, car trips, and unexpected trauma to be authentic and dialogue spare. With little fanfare, disappointment and chaos descend upon Cleo as the family deals with their own problems. Shot in black and white, the Spanish-language film with subtitles feels like a documentary unfolding layer by layer. While it tugs at the heart, it's never quite clear where the story is headed, perhaps an intentional device that reinforces the situation of the indigenous population in Cuaron's native Mexico. He says they are cast in the shadows, but provide the backbone for so many who rely on their loyalty. The progression of the autobiographical film is so gradual that I may need to view it again to fully appreciate the director's unadorned style which reflects on family, class and culture. The critics embraced it universally as a "masterpiece."

Black Panther, BlacKkKlansman, A Star is Born and Vice were all nominated for Best Picture, but took home awards in other categories.

Costume Design, Original Score and Production Design Oscars went to Black Panther, the first superhero film to showcase an all black cast. I'm not usually the first in line for action movies but I didn't want to miss this one after reading initial reviews. It was a treat from beginning to end with lavish sets reminiscent of yesteryear movies like Ben Hur, Cleopatra and Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit. Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa and Michael B. Jordan as Erik Killmonger deliver earnest portrayals as leads in a strong cast, but it's the tribal territory of Kawanda and its people that capture the imagination. The awards were well deserved. The production is expansive in scope, with technicolor sets, exotic lands and costumes, and a musical score to match.



Spike Lee jumped into the host's arms onstage to accept an Oscar in the category of best Adapted Screenplay for BlacKkKlansman, a true story about Ron Stallworth, the first black policeman in Colorado Springs, portrayed by John David Washington. When Stallworth decides to infiltrate the local Ku Klux Klan with the help of his white colleague, Flip Zimmerman, a Jewish cop played by Adam Driver, the masquerade and tension builds. It's a hoot of a tale with lively action and an unlikely scenario. Lee and some critics expressed dismay that the picture lost the top award to Green Book, making the snub  reminiscent of 1989 when Driving Miss Daisy won and Spike Lee was overlooked for Do the Right Thing, not even a nominee. The New York Times called Klansman Lee's "best non-documentary feature in more than a decade and one of his greatest." It was thoroughly enjoyable, with characters and storyline nearly preposterous, and the journey down memory lane via the Ku Klux Klan next to unbearable.

A Star Is Born, Bradley Cooper's directorial debut in which he plays the lead with co-star Lady Gaga, took the top award for original song, "Shallow." Written by Gaga and collaborators, the soundtrack won a Grammy, Golden Globe and BAFTA in addition to the Oscar. The Academy Awards spotlighted Cooper and Gaga singing a cozy duet at a piano onstage. Their passionate performance hinted at the movie's storyline, a remake of the classic film about a has-been singer who propels an unknown artist to stardom, but can't overcome his own demons. It's a touching story with the same ending we've seen before, but it could be argued the chemistry that ignites between these two takes the remake to a whole new level. Rumor has it Clint Eastwood turned down the directing job because he felt Cooper would be better. I can't disagree given the wallop this movie carries.

Vice landed Christian Bale (The Big Short and The Fighter) a nomination but not the Oscar for best Actor in a Leading Role. However, he claimed the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture. Makeup and Hairstyling was awarded the Oscar for turning Bale into a remarkable resemblance of Dick Cheney and Amy Adams (American Hustle) into a believable Lynne Cheney, perhaps her best role yet. Bale is a fascinating chameleon who always morphs into whatever physical characteristics the role demands, as he did for The Fighter and for the Cheney character, which required substantial weight gain. We witness former Vice President Dick Cheney's career from an undirected college dropout who favors booze over books and works a mediocre job until he meets Lynne, who pushes him for the rest of his life to do better. He follows her lessons and climbs up the ladder of Republican White House staff jobs to eventually land the Vice Presidency with George W. Bush. The offer is depicted in the film as a lighthearted, comical deal between the two men that ultimately leads down the road to abuses of power and morality. Part historical, biopic and farce, Vice is highly entertaining with a strong liberal gut punch.

Free Solo beat RBG for best Documentary Feature. Both were captivating but for entirely different reasons. It's fascinating but disturbing to watch champion rock climber Alex Honnold scale the 30,000-foot face of El Capitan in Yosemite, which comes at the end of this enthralling film. First, we watch Honnold undertake painstaking preparations over a period of months for multiple practice climbs, entering detailed notes on each in his journal. He pays close attention to his diet, sleep, clothing and the weather to ensure an optimal chance of reaching his goal -- the top of El Capitan without the aid of ropes and equipment. If it sounds harrowing, it is! Along the winding trail of this dream, he meets a lovely young woman whose heart resides in the wilderness as well. They set up house in Honnold's small RV camper and the relationship flourishes during the lengthy training period. His achievement is exhilarating to witness, yet I couldn't help but wonder why he'd take such a high risk that threatens his life. His mom describes a young boy who had the drive and focus to climb rocks, and others attest to his expert skills, but we're still reminded of the many who failed and met their deaths. In fact, the fear hovers in every climb the camera captures. If you're in the mood for adventure, and admire people who challenge themselves to impossible feats through the sheer power of the human spirit, this is the movie for you. If you're a tamer breed, don't skip it. Just close your eyes when it gets too scary.

RBG was nominated for best Documentary Feature but came up empty-handed. However, it's such a gem, as is the subject of the film, that IMHO it deserves recognition. As you must already know, Ruth Bader Ginsberg is a Supreme Court justice and cultural icon. What you may not know is that her Notorious RBG nickname was inspired by the rapper Biggie Small's Notorious B.I.G. nickname -- read how that happened here. The film is a romp through the life of this petite powerhouse of a woman who blazed the trail for gender equity laws in the United States (On the Basis of Sex tracks that historical triumph with Felicity Jones as a determined Ginsberg). RBG, on the other hand, follows Ginsberg through a five-star legal career and family and personal challenges, including her bouts with cancer over the years and her young husband's battle with cancer when they attended law school and had a baby at home. But it's not the health issues, rather her spunk, accomplishments and common sense talk that infuse the film with sparkle, wit and gravitas. Turning 86 on March 15, Ginsberg is a long-serving liberal on the Court. Appointed by Bill Clinton in 1993, she's gained the respect of her colleagues, especially the conservative Justice Antonin Scalia with whom she shared a close friendship until his death in 2016. Her infamous workouts, dissenting opinions on Court decisions, devotion to family and career, and the birth of RBG T-shirts and buttons make for a delightful film about a cultural icon we can all admire.



 

Summer Entertainment: Plays, Movies and A Concert

 A Thousand Splendid Suns, based on the Khaled Hosseini novel (author of Kite Runner) and produced by San Diego's Old Globe Theater, was one wallop of a drama. When a young girl in war-torn Afghanistan is told that her true love died in battle, she becomes the second wife of an older man who reminds her how lucky she is to have someone who will take care of her. However, her life is anything but lucky. With only a few props, this poignant and wrenching story unravels against

Photo: Old Globe

exquisite backdrops that nearly steal the show. Elaborate cutouts infused with creative colors and lighting tell a story of their own. An early rendering for an outdoor scene depicts the region's rugged mountain range in stark contrast to a later backdrop for a crude hospital setting. Most jarring of all, bright red splashes on a stark white background jolted me during a blood-drenched surgical procedure. Dismal scenes plunk you in the middle of the three-way marriage with wives destined to despise each other, within a country that's lost its way to terrorists who gnaw at the ancient culture and traditions. Symbolic of other chapters unfolding in the region, the play is a tribute to timely drama, wondrous staging and Khaled Hosseini.

American Mariachi was another Globe production with a new take on an old genre of music, The story features the joyful music of Mexico, a national treasure performed throughout the Southwest United States by bands of men in black sombreros and suits dripping with silver embellishments. You can imagine what happens when a group of female musicians decides to go up against the male-dominated industry to form their own band. The theme of gender equality and ownership of the music

Photo: Old Globe

is a driving force front and center, but the underlying thread is one about the impact of the music on the people who've embraced it, specifically a woman whose Alzheimer's has stolen her memory and rendered her half the person she used to be. When she hears  Mariachi music on the stereo, she's immediately transported to a happy time when she was a young girl and fell for the Mariachi musician who would become her husband. A window opens and, for a moment, she stands and dances. A smile brightens her face, aglow with joy. The female musicians are gutsy women (one is the woman's daughter) who persevere against all odds to perform the time-honored classics with triumph and flair.

Newsies at Moonlight Stage in Vista rounded out our summer season of plays with a story about real life newspaper boys who held a strike in 1899 in New York City when publishers increased the price the boys had to pay for their papers. But they didn't stop there. The rabble-rousers invited all of the kids working in underpaid jobs and some in harsh conditions throughout the city to join in the strike, which established a foundation for child labor laws. Steeped in history, this big stage musical featured a show-stopping chorus line, memorable for the newsies who performed the snappy tap dance number. During bows at the end of the show, several pulled hats off to reveal none other than pigtails! I guess the girls wanted to get in on the act too, just like girls throughout history who've disguised themselves as men to fight in wars, write novels, and do whatever they choose.

I'm a big movie fan, always ready to share a few of my favorites. Summer movies were no exception.

Won't You Be My Neighbor? is the movie that most captured my heart. It's a documentary about Fred Rogers, the host of a children's television show in the '70s and '80s. I recall watching it with my kids when they were small, and have to confess I found him a bit mushy, but the kids didn't, which comes across in the depictions of him. We see Fred in a variety of situations over his lifetime, as a gentle soul who could relate to small children, puppets, animals, and even comedians who made fun of him in TV sitcoms. One reason I think this film tops my list is because it's such a welcome contrast to what appears in the daily news and halls of Congress and the White House. So poignant and authentic, it made me weep. So kind and caring. So rare. A must see.

RBG is a close second and also a documentary, this time about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Though she is very slight physically, she stands tall among the DC types who have such loud mouths and unprincipled approaches to governing. She's intelligent, tenacious, kind, clever and whimsical as a key voice on the Court, and she's become something of a pop culture icon, held in high esteem by young people who appreciate her depth, style and pizazz and have produced RBG T-shirts. You might even say she's so authentic that you can't help but like her, regardless of her politics or yours. Honesty and perseverance are hard to beat, especially with a sprinkle of achievement, guts and humor, whch have always served her well. Check it out. You'll feel better afterward. 

For sheer fun, there were three movies in a close race for top place. All were just the right medicine for a Friday night date or girls night out.  

Photo: Oceans 8 Movie

Oceans 8
Sandra Bullock can pull off anything -- floating in space with George Clooney, adopting and raising an overweight black youth from the projects, or going undercover and being crowned Miss Congeniality for it. So how could anyone resist a female version of the guys' movie with Bullock in the lead, and Kate Blanchett and Anne Hathaway as her co-conspirators? May daughter and I saw it together, but she was resistant at first. She later agreed it was a great ride. This film is just as much fun as it sounds. I don't remember the details (they're not really important), but you get the idea if you saw any of the Oceans movies, beginning with Frank Sinatra and Peter Lawford, and updated by George Clooney and Matt Damon. The women deliver with panache, style and enough balls to play with the big guys. The story was all that I wanted it to be, with plenty of intrigue and twists from some of my favorite actresses. At least a few are in roles like we've never seen them before, which makes it all the more fun.

Mama Mia Here We Go Again  
This time we return to the Greek island where the party music and performances are amplified a few notches higher than the original movie (2008) starring Meryl Streep as Donna and Amanda Seyfried as Sophie. Now grown up, Sophie invites everyone back to the Hotel Bella Donna for an anniversary celebration (Donna already died). Newcomer Lily James (Downton Abbey) plays the young Donna (Merly Streep character) in a backstory that retraces her youthful visit to the island where she gave birth to her daughter and took over the hotel named for her. While the first movie had everything going for it (three possible dads) and the replay was destined to be a hit, Lily James enters and knocks it out of the ballpark. Rippling with talent, she puts fizz and verve into the role and Abba dance numbers. You can't help but fall in love with her. Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgard deliver a bit older fatherly good looks with charm and finesse. Cher in a white-and-gold dazzling costume (what else?) enters to perform a show-stopping moment, Meryl Streep returns as a spirit, and Andy Garcia teases throughout, until his long lost love reappears as guess who? 

Crazy Rich Asians
If I could award only one movie for most entertaining it would be this one. Casting, story (romantic comedy), sets and originality, this movie had everything going for it in the world class city of Singapore. The producers took full advantage of the modern architecture and landscape in the urban center, with unique light shows, water features, outrageous gardens, river setting, underground food courts, and ethnic neighborhoods. Lavish mansion showplaces provided the gamut of styles from sophisticated to garish. Characters were drawn in full technicolor, from the brightest to the dullest, the most crass to the most stern, and the most proper to the most flawed. This was the story of true love winning the day, despite the expectations of class, culture and wealth displayed as only Hollywood can. And for someone who's traveled to Singapore to witness the natural and man-made beauty of this Asian nation, I felt the movie was a love letter to the city -- sealed with a kiss. 

The Jackson Brown Concert 
I saved the best for last. This concert at the Greek Theater in LA was an unexpected delight.

Photo: YouTube.com

I was staying with friends in LA who'd gotten tickets to the concert and invited me to come along. I was embarrassed to admit I didn't know his music, but was told I probably knew the songs, but didn't know the name of the guy writing and singing all those hits. And of course that was true. The playlist that night was 24 songs long...from You Love the Thunder, Lives in the Balance, and These Days, to Somebody's Baby (he played this one for his shrink, who told him it was a hit, but Jackson didn't believe him), The Pretender, Running on Empty and Take It Easy (Eagles cover).

There was a strong vibe in the air, like a soothing balm that permeated the audience, for the hometown boy who shared stories about his songs and growing up in Southern California. The music is hard to deny...sometimes sad, sometimes happy, upbeat or nostalgic. But it's more than the music. What makes the artist Jackson Brown so human and so likable is his underlying compassion and concern for people and our planet. Follow the link to his website and learn about the awards he's received for his commitment to critical causes. See the concerts that are performed for people in Haiti, refugees, and others suffering globally. "Music Heals" says it all.

After seeing Bob Dylan perform a couple of years ago at the Greek in Berkeley, I was struck by the difference in these two artists' performance styles. Brown has an amazing connection with his audience. Dylan never says a word, not even when I saw him in 1967 in Louisville. Brown gave the sense he was having a good time, and he wanted us to enjoy the evening with him. He dropped a few comments about politics and other topics, as well. The audience loved it!

This generous entertainer with a "take it easy" style, delivered a near perfect performance in the charming hillside venue, a hidden gem in LA. Thank you, Jackson Brown, for hanging around so long and for giving all that you give.

Two Little Gems: Movies I Loved

BIRDS OF PASSAGE 

The La Costa Film Festival, in its fourth year the fall of 2016, was right in my own backyard so I promised myself I'd go this year and soak up some of the indie beauties and documentaries typically featured at festival venues.  My daughter, Amy, who shares my passion, joined me on the Sunday afternoon closing day. We had no trouble choosing two films that appealed to both of us -- Birds of Passage, a poignant story about the friendship between two girls, one disabled, and Pickle, a quirky documentary about a married couple with an odd assortment of rescue animals. Both were little gems for completely different reasons.

In the Belgian film (French subtitles), Birds of Passage, by Yves and Olivier Ringer, ten-year-old Cathy receives a fertilized duck egg in a tiny wood incubator for her birthday. Her dad explains that she will be the first person the duckling sees when he hatches out, so he'll think she's his mother. Cathy's friend, Margaux, confined to a wheelchair, attends Cathy's birthday party and hides in Cathy's bedroom during one of the games. In a surprise twist, the yellow duckling cracks through its shell and sees Margaux first. Cathy tells her she's now the mom and should take him home, but Margaux's parents are having none of it. They are already stressed caring for a child with special needs.

Discouraged but not defeated, the girls decide they will take the duckling to an island where he can join dozens of ducks swimming in the water at the end of a long land mass. Margaux sits in her wheelchair with the duckling as they cross a river in a small boat. On land, she sinks into a cart attached to Cathy's bike so they can wheel along dirt trails to reach their destination. Like a heavenly body, the pastoral setting wraps them in a cocoon of hope and safe keeping. At one point, they abandon the bike to enter the water with their precious charge while frantic parents back home report them missing and a search party sets out to find them.

Told from Cathy's point of view, the film captures the magical thinking of ten-year-old girls who wear blinders to the stigma and limitations associated with handicapped people. Without preaching, this message underscores every scene to give the story wings. From the urban apartments where they live to the sunlit countryside where they travel, Cathy and Margaux bond to a higher calling, to deliver their darling duckling to a community of feathered friends, so he can float in peace and harmony all day long.

Birds of Passage was named Best Film at the 2015 Montreal International Children's Film Festival.

****

The second film is a documentary by Amy Nicholson titled Pickle, about an engaging couple, Debbie and Tom, who collect an odd assortment of animals with bizarre ailments on their chicken farm.  Rescue animals include a variety of fowl, i.e. a hen with bumble leg (staph infection), a deformed fish from the river, and a damaged possum from the highway.  

In the case of Pickle, the fish, well...he was in quite a pickle because he had a fish head and tail, but no body -- a condition called stump body. After Tom caught this little guy, he wanted to throw him back in the water, but Debbie begged him to keep the good natured Pickle. Tom propped Pickle up with a piece of sponge so he could live in an aquarium and eat the food they dropped to him

The possum was injured and diseased when they brought him home, so Tom built a custom skateboard that allowed him to cruise around the house. In addition to these creatures, various fowl and ducks found their way to the farm but, unfortunately, many provided food for predators. The sweet little quail were an especially sad loss.  

Sitting on a white love seat in a luxurious home, decorated white on white, the couple shares an attachment and whimsical appreciation for their menagerie, accepting that most animals live short lives. Tom's dry sense of humor and Debbie's winsome personality and warmth give the homespun tales a sense of ying and yang that makes for irresistible storytelling. The film looks at the value we place on animals and the lengths we go to for their benefit.   

Total running time is 15 minutes: Pickle

A film by Amy Nicholson, the documentary received a total of 12 awards on the festival circuit including a Grand Jury Prize at the Florida Film Festival that qualified it for Oscar consideration. 

2017 OSCARS: Sunday, February 26, 4 pm PT

The Oscars are about to screen, so it's time to highlight some of my favorite movies, actors and even a couple of sleepers from 2016.

 News, celebs and more:  http://oscar.go.com

Choose your picks: http://oscar.go.com/nominees

OSCAR Ballot to Print:  http://people.com/awards/oscars-2017-ballot/

MY PERSONAL FAVORITES (not up for Oscars)

Queen of Katwe with Lupita Nyong'o and David Oyelowo is my top pick for movie of the year. It's the story of a young girl living with her mother and brothers in a dirt shack in Uganda who learns to play chess and wins the African continent championship. Medina Nalwanga's portrayal of the main character, Phiona Mutesi, is honest and earnest, but also vulnerable and conflicted. Phiona sells food to neighbors to help her single mom make ends meet, but she's also drawn to the school where boys her age are reading books and learning to play chess. Portrayed by Oyelowo, the teacher guides Phiona and encourages her reluctant mother, embodied by Nyong'o, to support Phiona. As a result, she joins the ranks of privileged youth who claim top prizes at chess competitions in her native country and Africa. This is a heroic story with grit, intelligence and tenderness that illuminates the role an adult can play in a child's life, to propel them to believe in themselves, overcome obstacles, and reach for the stars. The film feels like another indie achievement, but it's a Disney jewel based on a true story which has been featured on network news shows.

Sing Street is the delightful account of a coming-of-age boy in Dublin who's forced to attend a new school where he's an outcast struggling to fit in somewhere and escape the stress of a troubled home life. When a beautiful older girl catches his eye on the walk home from school, he stops to talk and spins a tall tale about his nonexistent band to impress her. Enthusiastic, she tells him she's a model and sings as well, which sends him on a frantic chase to pull together a band with a couple of friends and produce a music video to feature her. It's a sweet caper with youthful longing and fantasies, which makes for humorous storytelling and predicaments. You can't help but root for the young chap who's willing to do whatever it takes to win the more mature girl's love and sail away with her into the sunset.

BEST MOTION PICTURE NOMINEES

Fences  -- The producers of this film have taken full-page, foldout photo ads in the Sunday NYT, and I do mean BIG, for framing and hanging on a wall. The movie feels like a play, which is its original format. Written by Langford Wilson, the story is set in an urban Philadelphia neighborhood like the one where he grew up. Denzel Washington produced, directed, and starred in a stage production before he did the same for the film. Intense dialogue and the cultural backdrop serve as reminders of the continuing plight of African Americans and others caught in cyles of racism, ignorance and urban decay for a disturbing, yet unforgettable character-driven story. Best actor nominee Denzel Washington and supporting actress nominee Viola Davis deliver riveting performances.

Hidden Figures  -- Based on a true story, this movie is about the talented black women who contribute their substantial technical skills to the fledgling U.S. space program and are forced to negotiate their way through the unwelcoming white male culture. BRAVO to Octavia Spencer (supporting actress nominee) in the role of Dorothy Vaughan, who forged a legendary career as an IBM supervisor at NASA, and to Taraji P. Hensen and Janelle Monae for their portrayals of the other women who helped break through racial and workplace barriers at NASA to prove they could solve engineering problems as well as their male colleagues.

La La Land -- The over-the-top opening scene of this movie is perhaps my very favorite ever, with a giant dose of pizazz to suggest the audience is in for the ride of their moviegoing lives. From beginning to ending, this is a romantic love letter to LA with picturesque setttings and dazzling song and dance numbers that make for irresistible cinema. The chemistry between Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone produces magical  performances reminiscent of Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers films to offer a welcome break from everyday life and headlines. I'm betting the Oscar could go home with the young producer who created a bit of Hollywood stardust with La La Land.

Lion -- From a remote village in India to a comfortable home with devoted parents in Australia, this is the story of a poor boy orphaned by bizarre circumstances, but driven by youthful memories to search for his original family and the place where he was born. The photography and performances feel so authentic it's easy to imagine you're watching a documentary. While the true story belongs to the people who lived it, a fine cast delivers exquisite performances to honor their journey. Sunny Pawar, an unknown child actor, is so completely mesmerizing as Young Saroo that he seems to be plucked from the village in the movie. Dev Patel (nominated for supporting actor) plays older Saroo, and Nicole Kidman (nominated for supporting actress) is Sue Brierley, the adoptive mother.

Manchester By the Sea  -- Casey Afflek delivers a quiet, intense performance of a man in grief, but it takes too long to figure this out. The cinematography captures serene New England landscapes and seascapes that reinforce the somber tone of the story, which unwinds in backflashes and takes us down roads unexpected. Lucas Hedges (supporting actor nominee), in the role of Affleck's nephew, and Michelle Williams (supporting actress nominee), in the role of his ex-wife, breathe both humor and pathos into the sad saga, which Affleck owns. A dark story, the impact is undeniable as real life tragedies go.

Moonlight -- A birdseye view into the crime-riddled projects of Miami reveals how the youngest of victims fares from childhood through adolescence and adulthood. We follow an innocent boy being reared by a drug-addicted mom playeed by Naomie Harris (supporting actress nominee) and  mentored by her drug dealer in a role brought to life by Mahershala Ali (supporting actor nominee). Three actors portray the boy, teen and man, to show him fighting his way through predictable situations until fortune leads him to follow in the footsteps of the druglord, which is just about all he's ever known. But salvation knocks at his door when the love and affection shown by a schoolmate years before leads to a search for the same man, now working as a cook in another town. The sensitive reunion blossoms with hope at the end of the film for a character with remnants of childhood innocence still residing in secret cracks beneath the facade of gold-filled teeth.

Other Contenders: Arrival, Hacksaw Ridge, and Hell or High Water

BEST ACTRESS NOMINEES

Ruth Negga/Loving -- This is a heart-rendering account of Southern bigotry when a white man marries a black woman and they are rejected by their neighbors and the law, at least until a compassionate attorney comes forward to plead their case in court. Based on a true story, the poignant performance is understated but heartfelt, complementing a similar portrayal of the husband.

Natalie Portman/Jackie -- Like a time capsule, the film takes us back to a period in our nation's history when a youthful president is tragically stricken down, forever lost to his country, his wife and his family. Natalie Portman transforms herself to convey the wispy voice and measured delivery of Jackie Kennedy, whose shock, grief and intensity after her husband's death reveal a woman determined to mold his legacy. We watch as she plans the events and negotiates the steps with Bobby Kennedy and others, to ensure every detail leading up to and through the funeral is presented as she wishes, for all the world to see, and more important, remember. Portman is nominated for a precise, calculated perfomance.

Emma Stone/La La Land -- I loved the film, the boy-meets-girl story and the performances. Emma Stone jumps leaps and bounds beyond Birdman and other roles to portray a youthful, vulnerable character who discovers and embraces her talents in a fiercely competitive Hollywood environment. Ultimately, she leaves the love of her youthful longing to settle into a more mature relationship, but not without wistful feelings for the past. Oscar worthy on all counts.

Other Contenders: Isabelle Huppert/Elle and Meryl Streep/Florence Foster Jenkins

BEST ACTOR NOMINEES

Casey Affleck/Manchester By the Sea -- The character played by Casey Affleck is holding himself together after a tragic loss, but we don't learn about his backstory until well into the film. The restrained performance makes more sense when the history comes to the forefront. A victim of grief and loss, Affleck begs for the audience's sympathy, but it's his ex-wife, played by Michelle Williams, who displays the emotions he's unable to express and becomes the more sympathetic character.

Ryan Gosling/La La Land -- Emma Stone's romantic interest is the dashing, winsome character portrayed by Gosling, who offers a worthy match to her performance, especially when he takes a seat at the piano. But it's Emma Stone who truly steals the show.

Denzel Washington/Fences -- The couple in this play by Langford Wilson that's turned into a movie by Denzel Washington (director/actor) is caught in a web of complications from daily struggles in a black neighborhood in Philadelphia. He's the bombastic husband working as a garbage collector who lost out on a career as a baseball player, and she's the one who gets the brunt of his disappointments until their son is old enough to serve as the target. The grit and anger of Denzel's character may be authentic, but he's hard to take. Viola Davis (supporting actress nominee) is the loyal but suffering wife who plays referee between father and son. I give her my vote, but find it hard to cheer for the mean guy.

Other Contenders: Andrew Garfield/Hacksaw Ridge and Viggo Mortenson/Captain Fantastic

And the Winner Is....

Did you miss the big contenders for the Academy Awards at your local movie house? It's not too late to catch up. Read the reviews and watch the trailers for many of the movies that are up for a variety of awards tonight at the 88th Academy Awards ceremony. Just click Movie Reviews on the right side menu on Vicki's Vineyard home page -- and click older posts at the bottom of the reviews to continue to the next set of reviews.

See the list for ALL the nominees at: The Oscar Nominees

Maybe you want to choose winners in an official online contest. Go to: The Oscar Challenge and follow the instructions.

Or perhaps you'd like to pass out a list of nominees at home, so your family and friends can choose  their winners.  Have a surprise ready for the person who scores the most correct winners! Copy and paste from this ballot to make your own, or print the full ballot at: 2016 Oscars Ballot

HAVE A GREAT TIME AT THE SHOW!

ABC-TV coverage:  abc.go.com

4 pm On the Red Carpet

5:30 pm The Oscars on ABC