Sunday Short(s): A few films that we might see on the finalist list

by Nathaniel R

We've been meaning to launch a small but sweet "short" series for a long time. But alas, despite the tiny nature of the beast, we haven't. On December 21st, we'll hear which 30 eligible shorts Oscar voters favor across the Documentary, Animated and Live-Action flavors and we'll have a good excuse to dig in a bit more. With all golden categories back on the broadcast for the 95th Oscars (yay!) we should highlight the three miniature categories in someway!

Sadly, the Academy has gotten less transparent over the past handful of years. They no longer release their eligibility lists in the shorts categories. We are sometimes able to get approximations of the lists from various sources but it's not the same thing as having an "official" list. Nevertheless we believe the following five shorts are eligible and we've seen them so let's briefly discuss...

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Interview: Sadie Sink on Her Powerhouse Performance in ‘The Whale’

By Abe Friedtanzer

Despite early buzz from fall festivals, The Whale has not turned out to be a slam-dunk awards season player. After being shut out by the Independent Spirit Awards, star Brendan Fraser has earned nominations from most other awards bodies, with supporting actress Hong Chau and playwright/screenwriter Samuel D. Hunter also picking up bids along the way. There are those who say that the film and Fraser’s performance are manipulative and highly overrated, but I’m firmly in the opposite camp;  I think The Whale is the best film of 2022.

Fraser and Chau aren’t the only ones who turn in tremendous performances. As Ellie, the daughter of Fraser’s Charlie, Sadie Sink bursts in with anger to confront a father who has never been there for her but, at this moment, seems deeply interested in her happiness. Sink was already the best thing about season four of Stranger Things, and it’s wonderful to see her deliver so well in a role like this...

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Oscar Volley: Fresh nominees or familiar names for Best Original Score?

Team Experience is discussing each Oscar category as we head into the precursors. Here's Juan Carlos Ojano and Mark Brinkerhoff... 

CARLOS: I've learned my lesson about the Original score category. It defaults to usual suspects. On the one hand, their loyalty to certain composers gives the opportunity for films to be nominated even when they're not Best Picture nominees. They don't even have to be Best Picture-adjacent (Parallel Mothers, Isle of Dogs, Passengers). On the other the hand this category can be a lazy checklist of familiar names in the way other categories are a lazy checklist of Best Picture heavyweights. Are you feeling the same way?

MARK: Yes. Often times the  familiar “in the club” composers get shortlisted. Considering The Fablemans is positioned to score overall and considering his own track record, we can surely reserve one spot for John Williams...

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Best International Film Reviews: China, India, and Japan

by Cláudio Alves

For many, this year's Best International Film race will forever be remembered with an added asterisk, a reminder that the outcome would have been different had India submitted RRR instead of Last Film Show. This is not a commentary on artistic quality, merely award prognostication. The action blockbuster keeps racking up honors, while the country's official submission remains under-discussed. If neither succeeds, it will continue a sad Oscar trend. As one of the world's leading film industries, it's notable how little India has factored in these awards' history, indicating AMPAS' biases as well as India's own sometimes surprising submission choices.

While considering India's fate, let's also peruse the titles selected by Asia's other major film-producing nations… 

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Interview: The stars of "Girl Picture" on their international breakout

by Nathaniel R

Linnea, Ammu, and Eleonora the stars of "GIRL PICTURE"

The Academy will release the names of 15 finalists for Best International Feature Film on December 21st. One film we hope to see on that list if Finland's absolutely wonderful Girl Picture. But even if the Academy passes it by (they've often been a little indifferent to films about teenagers) we're certain it will stand the test of the time as one of the best youth films of the 2020s. We urge you all to see it if you haven't yet as it's readily available for rental on various platforms. We've been singing its praises to everyone who would listen since Sundance nearly a year ago when it won the World Cinema Audience Award.

Ben interviewed the director Alli this summer when the movie was released Recently as a kind of sequel, I sat down with the three leading actresses who bring this great movie and their characters so much emotion, humor, and authenticity...

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