No mountain between them at the moment...

Remember this past summer when we first heard that Kate Winslet and Idris Elba were making a romantic drama together? Here they are making out on the set of The Mountain Between Us

The 20th Century Fox movie about a man and a woman who survive a plane crash and have to trust each other to survive in the mountains, is directed by Hany Abu-Assad (who is best known for directing two Palestinian Oscar nominees: 20015's Paradise Now and 2013's Omar), is due in late October so basically we can expect it at the festivals...

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Beauty vs Beast: Blessed Are The Forgetful

"Random thoughts for Valentine's day... Today is a holiday invented by greeting card companies to make people feel like crap."

Jason from MNPP here, wishing everybody a happy Valentines (even if I do lean towards the incredulous sentiment expressed above). When you ask yourselves what the great romantic films of our times are, what answers do you come up with? Because I asked myself that question in order to choose this week's holiday-themed edition of "Beauty vs Beast" and it was Michel Gondry's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (from whence that quote came) that was the very first movie I thought of...

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FYC: Best Costume Design, The Dressmaker

By Glenn Dunks.

Cinderella. Mirror Mirror. Bright Star. I Am Love. Australia. Marie Antoinette. The list goes on.

The costume design branch so commonly gives films their single solitary Oscar nomination that it’s become a prognosticator mission of sorts to figure out which couture creations the branch will extend this particular honor to. They are also the branch most likely to ignore critical and commercial receptions and nominate based purely on the craft and that’s why we love them. Perhaps it is because costume designers have spent decades being the frills-and-sequin-loving daughter of Oscar when all he wanted was sons, but they use their unique privilege more wisely than others (we’re looking at you, composers!)

It was obvious, then, to me which film I should be championing here and it is Marion Boyce and Margot Wilson for The Dressmaker...

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Jose Gives Thanks <3

Jose here. Confession: I keep a gratitude journal. Every morning I jot down a few things for which I’m grateful and more often than not, I find that they have little to do with “real life” and more to do with art, particularly film and theatre. “I’m grateful for the tear that came down the actress’ cheek after she sang the 11 o’clock number”, or “I’m grateful for Emma Stone’s eyes”...Experts say that keeping track of the good things that happen to you is key to happiness, and without being too esoteric, or GOOP, about it I can definitely say I’ve noticed the improvements in my own life. So hey, if you need a new project to get you through these dark days why not give it a try? In the meantime I thought I’d share a few of those entries with you.

I give thanks for…

...being alive in the era where queer films aren’t tragic, but hopeful! Kudos to Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party and Moonlight for sending me home elated, rather than sobbing.

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Beauty vs Beast: Political Animals

Jason from MNPP here, posting today's edition of "Beauty vs Beast" from deep down inside my underground election bunker -- it's kind of like 10 Cloverfield Lane only depending on which way things go tomorrow I'm possibly going to be dissolving myself in acid. Until then, cheers! And don't go blind from drunkeness.

But first I've got to put in front of you the most obvious poll for this week's contest that I could possibly have gone with. When it's right, it's right, ya know? In 1999 Alexander Payne dropped Election, his second-best movie, on the world and it's resonated deeply and profoundly every four years since. There's a character for every type - Paul Metzler's a little bit Bush and a little bit Obama; I like Tammy too much to attach Trump to her but their shared anti-establishment rhetoric is pretty on-point. And as for Tracy Flick, well... obviously.

But for "Beauty vs Beast" it only make sense to face off the real adversaries of the film. There are morals, and there are ethics, and it's one lone man's job to police the distinction...

PREVIOUSLY Last week we tackled the love-struck teenaged maniacs of Heavenly Creatures and I forced you to split the duo in two like you're they're heteronormative parents side-eyeing their affections - it was close (I was hoping for a tie!) but Winslet's Juliet squeaked it out with 54% over Lynskey's Pauline; seeing as how Juliet is ever so slightly roped into the killing by the more enthusiastic Pauline I suppose we can understand. But said our host Nathaniel (and I'm prone to agree):

"I love this movie with all my heart (the best of its year if you ask me) and this is an awful thing to be expected to answer! Cruel, Jason, cruel."