IT'S A STRANGE WORLD, INDEED: In Memory of David Lynch (1946-2025)

I don't do posts like these often. 

In fact, the last time I did an In Memoriam post was back in 2021 when legendary composer Stephen Sondheim passed away. Within an hour or two of hearing about his passing, I had to write about my feelings as Sondheim's contributions to the world of musical theatre had a profound effect on me in my youth...and that evening, I actually cried while listening to various songs he had written. 

Much like Sondheim, very few artists had as a strong a hold on me in my formative years quite like David Lynch.  

I was a very young boy when Twin Peaks first aired on ABC so my only memories of it were small glimpses in the background...but I also recall very vividly that my local library had the entire first season of the series on VHS. Even at a young age, something about seeing those VHS tapes in a row creating a full picture of the show's iconic "Welcome to Twin Peaks" sign made me very intrigued.

I found a pic of the set for reference!

But more on Twin Peaks in a little bit.

 As I got older, I developed a fascination with movies and as a gift, I was given one of the Microsoft Cinemania CD-Roms that acted as like film Wikipedia back in the days of the internet's infancy. I even found a pic of that to share here:

One of the features on this disc was that you could listen to audio clips and watch video clips of films that were deemed to be iconic, and one of the video clips was the opening scene of David Lynch's infamous 1986 neo-noir film Blue Velvet. 

The images of idyllic suburbia ending with worms devouring the earth underneath the blades of grass was unlike anything I had seen before...and then I realized that the man who made it was behind that Twin Peaks series I kept hearing about. 

I've gone into it before in other posts, but for the sake of brevity, let me just state very quickly that despite a childhood where I felt in fear about the world of religion I was placed in, my mother was very keen to have me embrace my love of the arts. While at times this would end up with me watching various films and TV shows that I probably shouldn't be watching (more on that later...), that act of hers led me to discovering myself in a lot of ways. I learned so much about life and culture and developed an interest in wanting to act and write and direct. 

I can make the case that David Lynch in particular was the biggest inspiration for me in my youth. Perhaps I didn't always get what the point was in his work....do most adults even????.... but all I knew watching his films, and Twin Peaks, was that I had not seen anything like it before. That small taste of Blue Velvet really lived up to the hype.

One story I have told on this blog was how 12-year-old me watched Blue Velvet with my Nan, who passed away just last year. My mom didn't really know much about the film nor did my Nan...but we had rented it from our local video store (RIP Video Warehouse) and that summer afternoon, I sat down to watch it with Nan.

Now...if you've seen the film...I am sure you are already thinking how absolutely bonkers it is that I even began watching this with her. When we got to the scene that Isabella Rossellini finds Kyle MacLachlan in her closet and proceeds to tell him to get undressed, my dear sweet Nan exclaimed "What kind of movie is this?! It is so weird! I am not watching this anymore!" and she proceeded to leave the room. She didn't tell me to stop watching it, she just chose to leave the room. 

And a family legend was born. 

Not to mention my fascination with David Lynch.

To put timing into perspective, this was the summer of 2001 leading up to the release of one of Lynch's most iconic and beloved works: Mulholland Drive. This was also the summer that I watched Twin Peaks for the first time by way of those library VHS tapes and the convenient fact that the show was still airing in reruns on Bravo in the middle of the night...which I also recorded onto VHS. 

I will admit that I went into Twin Peaks already knowing the answer of who killed Laura Palmer...thanks You Don't Know Jack...but that didn't affect my viewing of the show in the slightest. In fact, knowing it made me do something at that young age I hadn't done yet: observe the structure of the writing.

Granted, this also proves to be a bit fruitless in hindsight as Lynch and his co-creator of Twin Peaks, Mark Frost, had not intended to reveal anyone to be the killer until network and audience interference forced them to choose a path to reveal it during the second season...however, it was fascinating to watch that first season with the knowledge of who did it and seeing how expectations were subverted. 

Lynch was always an artist who was very focused on mood. In nearly every interview in which one of his frequent collaborators would talk about his process (i.e Kyle MacLachlan, Isabella Rossellini, Laura Dern, among others), they’d bring up how Lynch’s way of getting the feeling he wanted in a scene was often spiritual or right from nature: “Think of a wind”.

One could argue that his methods lacked substance, and maybe at times they might have. He also dipped too much into the concept of a “woman in trouble”. As transgressive as his work could be, it also still felt oddly trapped in the gee golly 1950s that he came of age in. 

However, when he gives over to the power of emotional expression, it can be especially brutal, like in Fire Walk With Me. 

I’ve been racking around in my brain about what all I wanted to say here and if I wanted to confine it all into one post or write about a few different things as a series.

I really want to discuss some of his films at length, so I am planning on devoting a few essays to his work. 

I will tackle:

Eraserhead

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The Elephant Man

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Blue Velvet

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Mulholland Drive

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Inland Empire

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Eventually, I will go into the Twin Peaks saga but I really need time to sit with that whole series and film as it’s perhaps the set of work of his that I find the closest to my heart but also have grown to have conflicting feelings with as I’ve gotten older. 

So yes…if you are interested, please be on the lookout for my upcoming posts on the various works of David Lynch.

Forgive me for this being all over the place, but I was sitting at my office when I was heard the news and felt compelled to get some of my thoughts out right away. 

I find myself in a bit of shock. 

For better or worse, a lot of who I am today came from the work of David Lynch…as odd as that might be to read. I was already very interested in film before I truly knew of his work, but he was the first filmmaker who made me go “Wow. Can I do that too? What else is out there that is crazy like this?!”

I may have suffered from being a pretentious film bro as a teenager (one could argue I am still one now), but my love of film became my ultimate passion. That journey, in many ways, truly began with David Lynch.

Every interview and anecdote about him or by him just reveals a very quirky and genteel guy who surprisingly unleashes a darkness in his material often. Even reading his autobiography “Room to Dreem” from a few years ago was such a rewarding experience because you could tell this was a man with such a strong sense of compassion and spirit.

 I can’t help but feel the sense of loss. 

He was a something of a savior to a young confused boy who was looking for something to excite him and make him feel a little bit alive.

Thank you, Maestro. I will miss you. 

David Lynch

1946-2025

PROGNOSTICATION TIME: My Predictions for the 2025 Oscar Nominations

A new year means that movie award season is officially in full swing, however things have stalled a bit due to the truly tragic and horrific wildfires that are causing absolute devastation to the LA area. 

Award shows like the Critics' Choice Awards are postponed until February while guilds such as the Producers Guild of America have not announced when they will release their list of 10 Best Picture nominees. 

Truthfully, I think it would be in the industry's best interest to reconsider how to proceed with this. As it stands, the Oscar nomination announcement was supposed to occur Friday January 17th but got pushed by two days. So far, no other announcement has been made about postponing it further. 

 The Award Season process is one that I frequently talk about and find a bizarre fascination with even though I truthfully find the whole thing to be a political scam most of the time. This year, the tragedy of the wildfire along with the fact that I find the film output to be less exciting is a dire combo to say the least. I also find the fact that one particular contender is getting a lot of acclaim is another factor that leaves me feeling cold and disgusted.

So here we go...my final predictions for the Big 8 categories for the 2025 Academy Awards.

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BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:

#1 - Conclave

#2 - Emilia Perez

#3 - Sing Sing 

#4 - A Complete Unknown

#5 - The Nickel Boys

This is an award that Conclave has seemingly had in the bag for months, and while I would say it is certainly a very solid script from a very solid film, I think the honest truth is that the category lacks strong contenders. The only other film that even seems to have the potential to slip in here is Dune: Part Two...and I get the sense that the exposure of that film is slipping. 

Truthfully, I would love to see Sing Sing win this because that film was a clear labor of love, and it told such a bittersweet story so beautifully. The film could've fallen into maudlin/preachy/sappy territory, but it stuck the landing. 

Then we have the elephant in the room: Emilia Perez.

I will go more into that film later, but if you read my review, you will know where I stand on that discourse.

The last slot seems to be a battle between A Complete Unknown and The Nickel Boys which conveniently happen to be the two biggest contenders I have not seen yet. 

Sight unseen, I sort of suspect based on the acclaim that the latter might be more deserving of such an honor than a boilerplate biopic...but I truthfully can't say. 

I do think Wicked has a chance to slip in here as well. I certainly wish it were here over Emilia FUCKING Perez....

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BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:

#1 - Anora

#2 - The Substance

#3 - A Real Pain

#4 - The Brutalist

#5 - All We Imagine as Light

Right off the bat, I will state that I have not seen All We Imagine as Light, but I am choosing to go for it as it seems to be the other International film this year (aside from Emilia Perez) that is getting a lot of attention...and some years, that does translate to Screenplay noms (a film like The Worst Person in the World comes to mind). 

I do think we could see a film like Challengers or September 5 slip in here, as well. If I were to predict one of those, I would go with the former.

I feel pretty confident that the other four are locked in. I could even see a path for the top 3 films here to actually WIN, but I do think this will go to Anora and deservingly so.

I do think that The Substance would be a very cool win, and it is a film I have warmed up to more in the months since I have seen it. A Real Pain would make for a solid winner too, but I do think it would be more on the brink since there is a chance it may not even make the Best Picture lineup.

The Brutalist seems to be coasting by on the fact that it is one of the major Best Picture/Director frontrunners right now, but even those who really love the movie don't seem to be factoring in a vote for its Screenplay. I certainly wouldn't support it as I, to plug my review, found the film to greatly suffer once we returned from Intermission. 

Even beyond that, I just don't think the Screenplay is the film's strongest asset, even if it kept up the strength of its first half.

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BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

#1 - Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain

#2 - Guy Pearce, The Brutalist

#3 - Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown

#4 - Yura Borisov, Anora

#5 - Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice

This category makes me a little sad because I would love to see Clarence Maclin get a nod here for Sing Sing. The fact he did get the BAFTA nod gives me some hope, but I am choosing to predict he sadly gets left off. 

Kieran Culkin has been sweeping for A Real Pain and it's a wonderful performance, but...I am not sure he is THAT undeniable. It also feels like it is residual goodwill coming off his truly stellar work on the final season of Succession. On top of that, IT IS NOT A SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE.

Now, if you want to take Succession goodwill into account, that is where Jeremy Strong should come into play...and it's actually a Supporting performance! As I just stated yesterday when I posted my review of The Apprentice, Strong absolutely shines as Roy Cohn. As of right now, he is my personal favorite, but I could still see him get left off if the Academy simply refuses to watch the film.

I feel pretty confident in Pearce, Norton, and Borisov. I can't comment on Norton's work, but Pearce didn't wow me as much as he did for others. Borisov is even more tricky, because his role is far more passive, and he doesn't have his best moments until the final 20 minutes of the film...but he is surrounded by far more flashy performances in Anora and yet he sticks with you. 

So yeah...right Culkin winning this feels like the most solid Acting prediction we can make.

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BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

#1 - Zoe Saldana, Emilia Perez

#2 - Ariana Grande-Butera, Wicked

#3 - Isabella Rossellini, Conclave

#4 - Felicity Jones, The Brutalist

#5 - Danielle Deadwyler, The Piano Lesson

I will admit that as difficult as it can be to make predictions when nominations from precursors have been all over the place, that is also what makes the whole process rather exciting. 

Aside from Saldana and Grande...and I guess Rossellini as well...I feel less confident about the final two slots.

I am going with Jones mainly because of the power of The Brutalist even though she mostly underperformed with precursors all season. Also, I do feel like she deserves recognition as she was the strongest aspect of that film once it returned from Intermission.

I decided to stick with Danielle Deadwyler for the last slot over recent surging candidate Jamie Lee Curtis, but truthfully, the reason I am not predicting JLC is because I just don't know if I see her costar Pamela Anderson making it into Lead (more on that when I get to that category) and I just feel so weird about predicting Curtis and not Anderson...even if Anderson got left off the BAFTA list too.

The one major BAFTA (and SAG) snub that makes me really sad is Margaret Qualley as I really thought she would make it in. I suppose she still could, but it seems like too much of a longshot.

I could see a world where Grande wins CC and SAG, but then Saldana wins the BAFTA and the Oscar...or maybe Saldana will just sweep.

Both of these ladies are great, but they are both also co-leads of their respective films. In fact, Saldana is, in my opinion, THE LEAD of her film even more so than Karla Sofia Gascon. Despite my hatred for Emilia Perez, I cannot deny that Saldana gives a wonderful performance...but this is blatant category fraud. It is actually kind of hilarious and unfair that a performance like Saldana's would be competing against that of Rossellini's in Conclave in which she has less than 10 minutes of screentime. 

The thing about Rossellini is that she has such presence for such a small role, and she's been so overlooked for years that it seems as though I, and many others apparently, are willing to give her this moment. Plus - I can't help but support it since her performance also happens to be category appropriate!

While I would say Cynthia Erivo is the clear lead of Wicked, there is no denying that Grande's role of Glinda isn't much less of a lead than Elphaba. 

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BEST ACTOR:

#1 - Adrien Brody, The Brutalist

#2 - Timothee Chalamet, A Complete Unknown

#3 - Colman Domingo, Sing Sing

#4 - Ralph Fiennes, Conclave

#5 - Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice

When Daniel Craig couldn't even get nominated on his home turf at BAFTA, I decided to remove him and take a chance on Sebastian Stan...even if I still wonder if people are willing to vote for him despite the fact he is playing Trump. 

Beyond that slot, the other 4 contenders have pretty much been locked in place since last Autumn...even with Chalamet being sight-unseen by most. 

Considering the recent uptick in support for A Complete Unknown and the fact that industry tends to love its biopics, I sort of agree with those who are saying there is a strong chance Chalamet may upset Brody at SAG...but even if that is the case, I suspect Brody will rebound at BAFTA and take his second Oscar. 

Truthfully, I wish Domingo were more of a factor here as I think he is just as worthy to win as Brody...maybe even more so. He leads that ensemble so beautifully and I wish this was a performance that would be winning awards left and right.

Fiennes is incredibly overdue for an Oscar, but I do think this nomination will remain the award. It can be hard for subdued performances to win major awards, and this year, the tide just doesn't seem to be going in his direction. 

I won't be surprised if Daniel Craig takes the last slot in the end, because there is the possibility Stan splits votes between The Apprentice and A Different Man. 

Oh and then we have the random inclusion of Hugh Grant for Heretic in the mix as he managed to slip into the GG, CC, and BAFTA lineups. Who would've thought that such a small horror film could potentially get him close to his first Oscar nomination?

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BEST ACTRESS:

#1 - Demi Moore, The Substance

#2 - Mikey Madison, Anora

#3 - Karla Sofia Gascon, Emilia Perez

#4 - Fernanda Torres, I'm Still Here

#5 - Cynthia Erivo, Wicked

I do love when a category can leave me in suspense and that is certainly where I am at with Lead Actress. Moore and Madison seem like the only locks, although Gascon seems highly likely as well considering how much she has popped up in the precursors and the undeniable amount of love the film has received. 

Gascon would be the first openly trans nominee, and yes, that is a record I would love to see happen...BUT...I want to make this abundantly clear...that isn't the only reason we should nominate someone. She is good in the film, but not great...and she is negatively affected by the script she is handed. I just don't want to see this film get any attention, but it seems like the idea of Gascon missing is "hopedicting".

There are other contenders who many felt would play a stronger role in this season who mostly floundered like Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman, Kate Winslet, and Saoirse Ronan....and I would frankly be floored if any of them made a random Oscar comeback. I suspect if any of them do, MAYBE Jolie could do it since Maria had been on some Oscar shortlists in a couple of tech categories and, it must be said, she does do a lovely job in the film. 

But those last two slots are a bloodbath...and I am choosing to go with Fernanda Torres based on the recent surge of passion she has gotten after her Drama Globe win. Also - the stat of only two people in the last 40 years to lose out on an Oscar nomination after winning this award is very telling...especially when of those two wins, Shirley MacLaine won as part of a three-way tie (with the eventual Oscar winner that year) and Kate Winslet, who ended up winning in Lead for a different film. 

I decided to go with Erivo for the last spot which isn't exactly a crazy choice in theory. She has managed to hit all the precursors, and she is part of a highly successful and widely seen film and has the performance to back it up. However, we do see people lose out on an Oscar nomination after making it in everywhere.

Just last year, a lot of people (me included) originally thought Margot Robbie would get snubbed for Barbie due to how competitive the Lead Actress category was...but then she kept getting nominated everywhere and I followed the trend that maybe I was wrong and decided to predict her...only for her to get snubbed for the Oscar nom in the end.

A lot of people have been predicting a similar fate for Erivo...and even when I first typed out my 5 selections, I originally had Marianne Jean-Baptiste in my 5th slot. Part of me still wants to slot her in as she seems like could ride the coattails of British voting bloc plus, she got a lot of exposure as winning the Trifecta of major film critics awards (NY, LA, National Society)...but you know who else won those awards plus a Golden Globe and then got snubbed for an Oscar nomination? Sally Hawkins for Happy-Go-Lucky which also happened to be another Mike Leigh film. To add to that, I would argue Happy-Go-Lucky was a bit more embraced as a film than Hard Truths is. 

So, I won't be shocked if Jean-Baptiste is nominated...but I decided to go with Erivo in the end. 

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BEST DIRECTOR:

#1 - Brady Corbet, The Brutalist

#2 - Sean Baker, Anora

#3 - Jacques Audiard, Emilia Perez

#4 - Coralie Fargeat, The Substance

#5 - Edward Berger, Conclave

Even before I saw Emilia Perez, I kept having this feeling that Audiard would get snubbed...but now that I see the overwhelming response to the film by the industry, I feel like his nomination here is practically inevitable. 

I do think Fargeat will slip in here as that edgy kind of nomination that the Academy loves to do that isn't often done at other award shows, sort of like how fellow French director Justine Triet slipped in last year for Anatomy of a Fall, a nomination I did predict by the way.

Berger seems to be on track to get in as well, even though I had him pegged as being another potential snubbed candidate. I think it is still possible, but I do think he does very sterling work and I would support a nomination for him more so than Audiard. 

Could we see critic favorite RaMell Ross get in here for The Nickel Boys? I will admit that it is one of the only remaining films I still haven't seen, but the response to his work has been pretty rapturous though not widespread.

I could also see Payal Kapadia slip in for All We Imagine as Light. 

In the end though, it really seems to be coming down to Sean Baker and Brady Corbet...but the tide seems to be going more in Corbet's direction. 

I do have a lot of issues with The Brutalist but most of that comes from Corbet & Mona Fastvold's script. I can't deny that what Corbet accomplished on such a small budget is nothing short of astounding. I don't know if the final product would make me vote for him personally in the end, but I also cannot argue with the possibility of a win.

I do want to shoutout Sean Baker though as I think he's been doing such good work for many years, and I really admired how he handled the different genre shifts in Anora. While that film has seemingly dipped in its precarious frontrunner position (which it could return to), I am still firmly in its corner right now.

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BEST PICTURE:

#1 - The Brutalist

#2 - Anora

#3 - Emilia Perez

#4 - Conclave

#5 - The Substance

#6 - Wicked

#7 - Dune: Part II

#8 - A Complete Unknown

#9 - A Real Pain

#10 - Sing Sing

RUNNER-UP: The Nickel Boys

LONGSHOTS: All We Imagine as Light

The firm increase to 10 slots does make it seem like we may have to strain to find a contender or two for certain years. I also feel like we have the majority of the 10 all locked up with only one, MAYBE two films that I could see being swapped out. 

The top 8 films here are in. There is no way around that, and I would be floored if any of them miss. The final two slots seem to be a battle between three films although I COULD see All We Imagine As Light squeaking in. 

I think with the Screenplay and Culkin love, A Real Pain will eek out the nomination, but I am really torn between The Nickel Boys and Sing Sing for the last slot...and it also isn't lost on me how much of a shame it is that two films with predominant casts of color are duking it out for that spot.

To reiterate, I have only seen the latter of those two. 

It is hard to really express anything on the matter without having seen it, but even if I had seen it and loved it, that isn't going to mean it'll translate to awards success. If that were the case, about 80-85 of the Best Picture winners would be different. I am going with Sing Sing since I do expect it to have Actor and Screenplay nods, plus a possible sneak into Supporting for Maclin.

I actually see a path that four of these films could win right now...and unfortunately, Emilia Perez is one of those four.

Please go check out my review for it HERE if you haven't yet.

In short, Emilia Perez is an offensive and trashy film that doesn't work as a musical and is an insult to the trans experience and Mexican culture. The fact it is being embraced at the level it is has me completely and utterly appalled. What is going to win?

At the exact moment, I am going with The Brutalist which I think could take Picture, Director, Actor, Cinematography, and even Score rather easily...but I do get the sense that it may not be as liked enough. Its poor showing at SAG didn't help and while I don't bemoan the film for its length, I think some of us do agree the film greatly suffered in the final half due to it biting off more than it could chew in terms of plotting.

Anora could still pull it off, but I think it would need to win at PGA, and I think it would also greatly help if Mikey Madison can win at CC/SAG or BAFTA to go along with that package. I do think there could be a world where Anora could win Best Picture with just a screenplay win a la Spotlight...which speaking of that, maybe there is a world where Conclave can do that as well this year. 

While I wouldn't predict it, unless the film manages to bounce back with SAG and PGA wins, there is a classic feel to Conclave that makes it seems like a film that more traditional Oscar voters would embrace. It just doesn't seem like the tide is going that way though.

If The Brutalist had stuck the landing in its final hour or so, I likely would be more ecstatic about the idea of it winning...but I do hope Anora can pull this off. 

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Stan & Strong Stand Strong: My Review of Ali Abbasi's THE APPRENTICE

When Sebastian Stan made a comment that he could not get an actor to participate in one of Variety's Actors on Actors with him as they didn't want to discuss The Apprentice or the fact that he was playing Donald Trump, I found it both understandable and frustrating.

On one hand, nothing would please me more than to never have to see or think about or speak about Trump again but as I write this, we are less than a week away from him beginning his second term. However, if a film is going to present him and his life in a relatively honest manner (as much as a film typically succeeds in), I don't see a reason to necessarily knock it. Now, if the film wanted to try to glorify him in a manner that Golda did with Golda Mier, that would be a different story. 

The Apprentice doesn't glorify Trump. It also doesn't present him as a cartoon. Instead, we do get to see glimpses of an inner humanity at times. I wouldn't say it makes us sympathize with him per se, but I found that the film was pretty successful at balancing a time in Trump's life where he wasn't quite as evil as he is today, and I felt very engaged with the story.

I do think a lot of this has to do with the fact we get the diabolical Roy Cohn in the film considering he was a major figure in Trump's life during the 70s and 80s.

That is the time period we are focused on here, which is when Trump managed to supersede his father's status and became a bit of NY celebrity, and eventually, a worldwide celebrity. 

We begin in 1973, which is the year that Fred Trump was being investigated by the Federal Government for the discrimination of African American tenants being able to rent in his buildings. Trump manages to catch the attention of the rather volatile lawyer Roy Cohn, who was most known at this time as being the man who actively sought to prosecute the Rosenbergs during the Communist Blacklist era. 

Cohn offers to help on the case as he has photographic evidence that the prosecutor was seen with a younger cabana boy which causes the case to be settled for a minimal fee, despite the clear discrimination at hand.

With that, Trump and Cohn are now hand-in-hand; a duo that is at once iconic and vile. The next task at hand is Trump seeking to acquire the derelict Commodore Hotel near Grand Central Station, at a time when this area was considered crime-ridden and crumbling (i.e. The 42nd Street/NYC of an era pre-Guiliani). Cohn helps Trump get a $160 tax abatement which becomes a point of outrage for activists, and it all comes from blackmail towards the officials. 

The film also depicts Trump meeting his first wife, Ivana Zelnickova, and how he is obsessed with her at first until the marriage sours only a few years in. We see the gradual descent from Trump to TRUMP as the film progresses, but as I stated before, what Stan accomplishes with his portrayal is rather remarkable. 

Under the hand of Iranian/Danish writer/director Ali Abbasi, Sebastian Stan's Trump is perfect example of performance pitching and pacing. We can see the signs early on that he is playing Trump, but he never attempts to do an impression vocally. What is particularly marvelous here is what he achieves in terms of the mannerisms and tics. By the end of the film, he is clearly talking more like we are used to Trump talking but it doesn't feel like a caricature. 

We always talk about the success of biopic performances based on how much someone looks or sounds like the person they are portraying, but I think Stan's work deserves far more credit than it has been getting. Not that I speak for everyone who has seen it, but I do get the sense that those who have given the film a chance has acknowledged the merits he brings to this complicated role.

Perhaps even more impressive is that of Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn, fresh off his Emmy winning stint on Succession and Tony winning work in An Enemy of the People. Cohn is one of those people who is widely hated by most people with a pulse and a conscience. A lot of his legacy was put under a larger magnifying glass when legendary playwright Tony Kushner made him a character in his seminal opus Angels in America...a role that has since become a goldmine for actors ranging from Ron Liebman, Al Pacino, and Nathan Lane.  

Roger Stone, the infamous Trump political consultant who happens to be portrayed in the film by Mark Rendall, commented on the film that Strong's work as Cohn was "uncanny" & "accurate". Based on all of the videos/interviews that are available of Cohn, it is clear that Strong has him nailed. It also helps that Strong has those deep eyes that can almost disappear in the sense of losing one's soul. In fact, it was that element that made his Succession character Kendall all the more compelling once he hits rock bottom going into the second season. 

Strong has gotten a lot of flak in the press and from his Succession costars Brian Cox and Kieran Culkin for being a bit too method in his approach, and I am honestly not going to go into that debate here...but I think his work as Cohn is worthy of an Oscar. Ironically enough, he is still on the brink of even being nominated and even if he does get in, he is seemingly going to lose to Culkin for what is truthfully a lead performance. 

We also have Maria Bakalova as Ivana. While I would argue her performance doesn't get the same amount of attention or care, she does do a lovely job. Considering she first came on our radar as Borat's daughter back in 2020, I love seeing her take on a more dramatic role. She deserves to have a bigger career, for sure. 

I am not saying the film itself is close to perfect. Aside from the fact that Bakalova doesn't get much to sink her teeth into, I would still argue the film flirts with that ever cheeky and often annoying trope where the script acknowledges things that we today know all too well, but the characters comment on without that knowledge. Then again, people were talking about Trump running for president as early as the 1980s.

As it stands, I think the film flowed well and managed to be entertaining despite the horrendous subject matter at the helm. I think if you are willing to sidestep your (fully justified) hatred for Trump, you could find a lot to be intrigued with this effort...at least from an acting standpoint.

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THE APPRENTICE

Rating: 8/10 

FOR THE LOVE OF.... : My Review of Jacques Audiard's EMILIA PEREZ

When I was a kid, I developed a rather strong fascination with the 1970s sitcom Soap, which was the brainchild of writer Susan Harris who would go on to create the legendary sitcom The Golden Girls. Harris' goal was to write a sitcom that would parody that of daytime soap operas. One of the most memorable aspects of this show was that a young Billy Crystal played one of the first prominent gay characters on network TV. 

His Jody begins the series as a gay man with very effeminate touches but as the series progresses, they keep forcing him into a path of him having relationships with women and losing those surface level effeminate elements (something that would also occur with the gay character of Steven Carrington on Dynasty). 

However, I bring the character up in particular because in the second episode of the series, Jody announces to his mother Mary (while wearing one of her dresses) that he intends to get a sex change because he always felt like a woman. We soon find out after that one of the reasons he is hopeful for this surgery is that he wants to please his secret lover, Dennis, who is a married Quarterback in the closet.

Eventually, Dennis reveals that even with the goal of Jody having this operation, it isn't really enough, and he ends their relationship. Jody decides to commit suicide by taking pills, though is saved in time thanks to the wise words of his roommate in the hospital. 

After this...the trans element is never discussed again.

For the 1970s, this was certainly the kind of topic not often seen on TV...though more dramatic shows, like Medical Center, tackled the topic when Robert Reed (most famous as playing Mike Brady) played a man looking to transition into being a woman...but a lot of this content plays as dated by today's standards. 

I have had a history with the trans community having dated both trans women and trans men, including having a trans boyfriend now. I am not claiming to be an expert on every aspect of their lifestyles and struggles, but I am certainly an ally.

When I first heard of the film Emilia Perez back when it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2024, all of it sounded very intriguing: Jacques Audiard, the rather blunt French filmmaker made a musical set in Mexico about a trans drug cartel leader featuring the likes actresses such as Zoe Saldana and Selena Gomez? 

And then the four leading ladies (Saldana/Gomez/Karla Sofia Gascon/Adriana Paz) all jointly won the Best Actress prize at the festival. Buzz was swirling rather intensely...seemingly on par with the American film that won the prestigious Palme D'or: Sean Baker's Anora. 

Netflix acquired Emilia Perez and it seemed like all was surging towards it being a beloved contender. Even now as I write this, the film has been pretty embraced by the industry and is expected to get several Oscar nominations...possibly entering the double digits. 

But then...something happened...

As more people began watching it, the response seemed far more vitriolic. As I write this, the film has a 76% on Rotten Tomatoes. To put that into perspective, some of the more hated Best Picture wins of the last 20 years: Crash and Green Book have 74 and 77% percent respectively. 

But if you were to look on the highly popular film app Letterboxd which has film fanatics rank films on a 5-star scale, Green Book has a rather respectful 3.8; Crash has a lesser 3.0

Emilia Perez? 

2.7!!!!

Having set up all this preamble, where do I stand on Emilia Perez?

Oh, it's trash. This movie is absolute TRASH. 

As a musical, it is trash. As a script, it is trash. As a means to try to create a dialogue around the trans experience, it is trash. 

The film's ONLY redeemable qualities would come from the performances, particularly that of Zoe Saldana, who is yet another egregious example of a performer being campaigned in Supporting when she is not only a lead in the film, but I would argue she is THE lead in the film. 

Saldana plays Rita, an overworked Mexico City lawyer who gets kidnapped and taken to meet Manitas (Karla Sofia Gascon), a very powerful drug cartel leader who is looking to fake his death, undergo gender-affirming surgery, and assume a new life...even though it would mean abandoning his wife Jessi (Selena Gomez) and two kids. 

We are then swept up in the plotting so quickly that it is hard to even comprehend or believe all of the story beats...not to mention the absolute disaster of a song "La vaginoplastia", that would be funny if it also weren't so crude and ill advised.

When the film advances 4 years into the future, Rita is in London and gets approached by Manitas, now going by the name Emilia Perez. She has a burning desire to return to see Jessi and the children, so Rita agrees to bring her home as a distant cousin of Manitas who agreed to help with the children. 

Jessi and the kids had relocated to Switzerland following the "death" of Manitas and objects to this arrangement but mostly accepts so she can return to Mexico to reunite with Gustavo, a former lover she had seen while married to Manitas/Emilia. 

As I stated, the performances are what help keep the film a tad bearable. I do feel Saldana is worthy of the praise she is receiving, but it is not a supporting performance. I do understand the value of honoring a trans actress with an Oscar nomination and I would love to see that happen, but I also feel like we have other stronger performances this year. I do think if Gascon gets in, it would be deserving but the Actress category is so strong, I would love to see some of the more "on the brink" contenders get in.

I do feel like a nomination for Selena Gomez would be too much. While she does show promise, I also feel like she is the greenest of the ensemble...and not to mention, her Spanish speaking doesn't come across as that believable. Not that I am some expert on the subject, but living in New York, I do hear the language spoken quite often.

There is a lot I can say about Emilia Perez. I feel like I kept distracting myself talking about past experiences, but the reason I brought those up is that I feel like the trans representation in this film is rather offensive. 

I appreciate giving Gascon this kind of platform, but as a character, Emilia is not exactly deep. We got one moment where we see her admiring herself post-surgery...but beyond that, we learn next-to-nothing but her existence as a woman. Everything about her is only through her past life under her now dead name. The whole thing has this permeating stench of transphobia told from the point of view of a white cis French man giving us a caricature campy looking Mexico drenched in stereotypes. The film even opens randomly on a mariachi band with glowing sombrero hats to show us "Hey! We are south of the border!".

The fact that this film even has a path to the Best Picture win is positively atrocious and shameful. This would easily become the worst Best Picture winner since Crash. It almost makes me want to go apologize to the people who made Green Book. It also makes me long for something banal and predictable like Coda. 

Nearly every aspect of Emilia Perez leaves me overwhelmed in the worst way. For a film getting this kind of vitriol, I expected to walk away hoping to find something to defend it beyond the performances, but I just can't. It is so far removed from the trans experience that even the basic concept of a trans woman smelling like a man is an egregious error as her taking HRT would prevent such a thing.

Emilia Perez is a prime example of a movie that wants to make us feel but only aims for the lowest common denominator. We watch scene by scene pass by and it is as if most of these characters are about as skin deep is a thin piece of wet paper.

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EMILIA PEREZ

Rating: 3/10