Movie Review

Film Review: WONDER PARK (USA 2019) ***

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Wonder Park Poster
Wonder Park tells the story of an amusement park where the imagination of a wildly creative girl named June comes alive.

Writers:

Josh Appelbaum (screenplay by), André Nemec(screenplay by) | 3 more credits »

Stars:

Sofia Mali, Jennifer Garner, Ken Hudson Campbell

One must wonder how the filmmakers decide on whether the main child protagonist in their animated feature is going to be male or female.  Males have been highly successful in the  TOY STORY franchise while females in the FROZEN franchise.  For WONDER PARRK, creating rides and using mechanical expertise to tune up the rides would be more suited for a male child and his father rather than a girl and mother.  Girls do not generally engage in races either.  But in this age of gender equality, anything goes.  The female protagonist works well in this story to show more gender equality, credit to he filmmakers.

A young imaginative 10-year old girl named Cameron “June” Bailey (voiced by newcomer Brianna Denski) spent her childhood days constructing an amusement park filled with fantastical rides and inhabited by talking animals called Wonderland with her mother (Jennifer Garner) and her friends, but she lost her sense of imagination and wonder after her mother leaves home for an illness not mentioned and growing up, until she finds the real Wonderland in the woods while at math camp.  She needs to team up with the animals to stop the destruction of Wonderland by Chimpanzombies and bring it back to life.  Simple story, simply executed. The film obviously suffers from the lack of a single evil villain.  The cute chimanzombies do not really cut it as scary villains.  Even their name sounds cute.  But the weight of worry on a sick mother on a child can be devastating.  Credit to the filmmakers and scriptwriter to include a more serious note in an otherwise fun film.  But this sad weight does anchor down the fun atmosphere of the film.  The audience also pities the poor father who now has to look after June and do the household chores which June does not believe the father is capable of. The dialogue is sufficiently corny but doable. The characters try to put back the wonder in WONDER PARK when the park is breaking down.  The animals  also frequently chant: “We are the Wonder in Wonder Park”.  The characters con up words like ‘splendiferous’ and ‘wonderiferous’, words that children can pick up and constantly annoy their parents with after the movie.  The park also encompasses some ingenious rides that the script has churned out, rides that could perhaps work in a real amusement part, but deemed too dangerous.

Other voice characterizations from more famous actors include the ones from Mila Kunis, Ken Jeong and Matthew Broderick as June’s father.

The part of the story of twin worlds existing makes a good concept.  When June whispers into the ear of her toy chimpanzee, the chimpanzee in WONDER WORLD, Peanut (Norbert Leo Lutz) hears her ideas and implements the suggestions.

WONDER PARK is the third animation feature from Nickleodeon Pictures and Paramount Animation Studios after JIMMY NEUTRON: BOY GENIUS and BARNYARD.  It was reported that the filmmakers hope the film turns out as big as Disney’s COCO.  Both films share the voice of a newcomer for the main child protagonist.

WONDER WORLD is no COCO but it is still not without its pleasures but for mostly kids. 

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MRSBuQt51A

Canadian Film Fest 2019: RED ROVER (Canada 2019)

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Red Rover Poster
After feeling he has nothing left to live for on earth, a lonely geologist tries to qualify for a one-way mission to Mars with the help of an offbeat musician who is just as lost as he is.

Director:

Shane Belcourt

Writers:

Shane Belcourt, Duane Murray

Stars:

Cara Gee, Anna Hopkins, Meghan Heffern

Shane Belcourt performs triple duty as director, co-writer and director of photography about an odd ball geologist (Kristian Bruun) and his relationship with a pretty musician (Cara Gee).  

Damon, the geologist spends his waking hours searching for that elusive something. Whether it is for deeper meaning, love, or just “treasure” on the beach with his metal detector, it is to no avail.  So when Damon meets an offbeat musician named Phoebe handing out flyers for a one way trip to Mars, a bond quickly forms. 

 She’s going to help him find that thing he is looking for by sending him 33.9 million miles away, even though what he needs might be right in front of him.  The film hints at a love relationship rather than a plutonic one, and one can hardly tell where everything is heading even half way through the movie.  But the waywardness of the two individuals are nothing out of the ordinary and their gatherings grow tiresome quite soon.  Bruun and Gee carry the film for all that is worth. 

 The film is shot in Toronto with may familiar sights that should please audiences watching the film at the Canadian Film Fest for which this film has been chosen as the Opening Film.

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/294847271

Canadian Film Fest 2019: POND LIFE

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Pond Life Poster
Summertime, 1994. In a quiet mining village just outside Doncaster, a rumour stirs about the legend of a giant carp in the nearby decoy ponds. Trevor takes watch one night at the water’s …See full summary »

Director:

Bill Buckhurst

Writer:

Richard Cameron

Stars:

Tom Varey, Esme Creed-Miles, Angus Imrie

POND LIFE settles on a couple at home – a seemingly happily married couple, Dick (Ryan Blakely) and Sandy (Jeanie Calleja), high school sweethearts.  

The relationship is about to be tested.  As Dick makes sexual advances towards his wife (showing a still healthy marriage), Sandy reveals that her sister or foster sister as Dick corrects his wife, Daisy (Kerry McPherson) and boyfriend, Richard (Ryan McVittie) are on their way to visit.  Two couples.  Two secrets.  And a night to celebrate a pregnancy goes haywire. As the film progresses, more plot points are revealed.  

It seems that Richard and Dick have known each other quite well and in fact have some shady business going, despite many disagreements.  The story grows more sinister.  POND LIFE turns up a an entertaining quirky tale about couples, the type Canadian films are well-known for.

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/189524970

Film Review: LEVEL 16 (Canada 2018) ***1/2

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Level 16 Poster
Sixteen-year-old Vivien is trapped in The Vestalis Academy, a prison-like boarding school, keeping to herself and sticking her neck out for no one. Until she is reunited with Sophia — the …See full summary »

Director:

Danishka Esterhazy

Writer:

Danishka Esterhazy

Stars:

Katie Douglas, Celina Martin, Sara Canning

LEVEL 16, basically a young lady’s prison escape thriller evokes immediately the atmosphere of THE HANDMAID’S TALE and the little seen Irish supposedly true story of nuns’ abusive training in Peter Mulan’s THE MAGDALENE SISTERS – which is a good thing.  These three films bring out good solid drama where the audience cares for the innocent but abused characters.  Even though the final escape seems so easy (in THE MAGDALENE SISTERS, ironically the escape is through an unlocked door), it is the build up that counts.  And the terror of the frequent punishment that comes with disobedience.

16 refers to both the current age of the film’s protagonist, Vivien (Katie Douglas) as well as the new Level – LEVEL 16 of Viv’s education.  It is a walled in concrete world with no windows and no pictures in what is known to the girls, all pretty young things as the Vesralis Boarding School where the young girls are educated for adoption by wealthy parents. or so they are told by their teachers, who are too strict for comfort.  They are also told their adoptive parents sponsor the school and they only wait for their adoption after completion,

The first half of the film  reveals the daily regimental routines.  The girl believe the school is a refuge from an outside world rendered toxic.  But the school is a neglected, antiseptic institution where girls without families are monitored, their day scheduled practically to the minute, and “education” consists of a constantly repeated list of “feminine virtues” – obedience, cleanliness, patience and humility – preached by a matriarch and propagandized in moral-hygiene films.  Among the activities are vitamins the girls are taking daily with a voice telling them that vitamins are good for the body and that they prevent disease.

An incident occurs.  Viv is taken away for punishment because of an accident committed by Sophie (Celina Martin).  On LEVEL 16, Sophie informs Viv, out of guilt, a secret.  The vitamins that they are taking daily are not vitamins but sleeping drugs which knock them out to sleep.  Worse, Sophie who has not taken the drug for while, has witnessed a guard who comes in the middle of the night to touch the girls.  This is where the film gets interesting.

The two villains of the piece are equally chilling  There is the matriarch of the place, white wig donning no-nonsense warden like bitch, Miss Brixil (Sara Canning).  This role seems right tailored for Tilda Swinton to play.  The other is the doctor that owns the place, (Peter Outerbridge) a creepy elderly man who one can tell has the urges to touch his girl victims.

If the climax does not match the build up, the film still is a success rather than a disappointment as the build-up is pretty good.  The script reveals just enough to satisfy the audience and to keep the suspense maintained.  It is this mystery and audience anticipation that makes this tale stand out.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQ10TZba5QU

Film Review: 3 FACES (Iran 2018) ***

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3 Faces Poster
Trailer

Three actresses at different stages of their career. One from before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, one popular star of today known throughout the country and a young girl longing to attend a drama conservatory.

Director:

Jafar Panahi

Writers:

Jafar Panahi, Nader Saeivar

Stars:

Behnaz Jafari, Jafar Panahi, Marziyeh Rezaei |

Iranian director Jafar Panahi has shot to fame after being imprisoned by the Iranian Government followed by 8 years of house arrest.  Worst and not least, Panahi has been banned from making films.  As Tanya Harding proclaimed after she was banned from ever entering any skiing competition for crimes she allegedly committed (“If you have taken skating away from me, what else is there in life?”), what else is Panahi to do if he does not make films.  Thankfully, he has continued to make films, as evident in his latest entry set in repressed Iran which won him the Best Scenario Prize at Cannes this year.

Iranian director Jafar Panahi’s 3 FACES looks at current issues dominating not only Iran but the world today – female inequality, oppression leading to abuse and unwavering tradition.

The film begins with a lengthy and troubling video shot on a cellphone of Marziyeh (Marziyeh Rezaei), describing how her ambition to become an actor has been thwarted by her family, and pleading for support from Iranian actor Behnaz Jafari. The footage ends abruptly, with the defeated Marziyeh appearing to commit suicide.   The footage illustrates how effective a simple device like a cell phone can be  used to make a film.  It also shows that clarity of the image is not mandatory in order to get a  point across,  Still, this sequence is overdone and overlong.  

Shaken by the recording, Jafari (playing a fictionalized version of herself) abandons a film shoot and sets off to Marziyeh’s village in the company of her friend Panahi (playing himself).  Upon their arrival, they meet with Marziyeh’s friends and apprehensive family, who remain unmoved in ostracizing their daughter for her choice of profession — a reaction rooted in the village’s traditional mindset, and one that’s forced an old silver-screen legend, Shahrazade, to live on the edge of town. The more Jafari and Panahi discover about Marziyeh, the more they learn about the community around her and the inescapable bond between tradition and destiny.

Th film contains a few clever plot twists that keep the story moving.  The film has the feel of an Abbas Kiarostami movie, particularly THE WIND WILL CARRY US, especially the scenes with the winding roads up the hill, with similar such scenes in Panahi’s film.  At times, Panahi tries to be too cute, such as the dialogue involving the honking of the car while driving to the village.  Still the simplicity of the film shows the mastery in Panahi’s work.

Despite good ideas in small budget filmmaking, most of which transpires onscreen have been seen before, especially in Iranian films who appear to have cornered the niche in this type of filmmaking.  Even at 90 minutes, 3 FACES feels long and stretched out.  It could have been compressed to 70 minutes resulting in a  less boring film.  The beginning sequence of Marziyeh committing suicide says it all.  That 8 minute sequence could have been trimmed to half the time to better effect.

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/284212080

Film Review: GLORIA BELL (USA/Chile 2018) ***

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Gloria Bell Poster
Trailer

A free-spirited woman in her 50s seeks out love at L.A. dance clubs.

Director:

Sebastián Lelio

Writers:

Alice Johnson Boher (adapted screenplay), Sebastián Lelio | 1 more credit »

Stars:

Julianne Moore, Alanna Ubach, Sean Astin |

GLORIA BELL begins and ends with Julianne Moore dancing at a club in an 80’s setting.  The era is never mentioned but can be deduced from the 80’s song playlist and from the wardrobe and hair style of the characters.  Chilean director Leila has been known to effectively use and bring to life his films with the use of a singular song, the most notable and remembered being Richard Burton’s rendering of the song CAMELOT from the stage musical in Leilo’s film JACKIE about Jackie Kennedy.  In GLORIA BELL, Gloria Gayor’s ‘”Never Can Say Goodbye” begins the film while the popular 80’s song “Gloria” closes it.

GLORIA BELL is described in the press notes as a film on mature dating.   The film opens with Gloria on the dance floor.  Gloria Bell (Julianna Moore) introduces herself to a stranger (and to the audience) as Gloria Bell, a divorcee of 12 odd years.  She meets in the same night, Arnold (John Torturro) who she eventually begins a relationship with, after some hot sex, in which nothing much can be seen much but much can be heard, which means the audience will get the point.

Gloria has been on the dating scene for a while – probably for 12 years or so, judging from her behaviour.  She is not eager to begin a relationship right away but is not opposed to the idea either.

For a film about mature dating, the film covers all the points about its problems.  These include:

– the baggage that each member brings to the relationship with each having their own children and each with their own set of problems

  • the discomfort of still dating at such a late age; Arnold \ has qualms about telling his children about Gloria, obviously embarrassed at the situation
  • jealousies that flare up; Arnold is uncomfortable when Gloria shows affection for her ex (Sean Astin) at her son’s (Michael Cera) birthday party
  • each member is set in their own stubborn ways and behaviour; Arnold in leaving Gloria when trouble arise 
  • disapproval and constant questioning of the children; as it happens at Gloria’s son’s birthday party

The song, Gilbert O’Sullivan’s “Alone Again, Naturally”  that is heard right in the middle of the film again is effectively used by Leilo to put his story in perspective.

Leilo’s film benefits from the performances of its actors, which are key for a dating drama of this sort.  Moore and Torturro are both excellent, especially Torturro who obviously has toned down his usual manic performances.  It is good too to see Michael Sera in the role of Gloria’s son, Cera being absent from the screen for some time.

The script is also smart enough not to take sides.  Both Arnold  and Gloria have their valid reasons for each fight and one could side with either, despite being male or female.  The film’s subplots, like Gloria’s expecting daughter taking off to Sweden to marry her beau also enhances rather than distracts the main story.

GLORIA BELL is not full of surprises (in fact, if the film seems strangely familiar, you could have seen Leilo’s original Spanish 2013 version called GLORIA which was set in Santiago) but it serves a realistic slice of life mature dating, with all its pitfalls and bright spots.  It is an entertaining watch to see ourselves in similar situations.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPq4zW9QZSg

Film Review: TYLER PERRY’S A MADEA FAMILY FUNERAL (USA 2019) ***

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A Madea Family Funeral Poster
Trailer

A joyous family reunion becomes a hilarious nightmare as Madea and the crew travel to backwoods Georgia, where they find themselves unexpectedly planning a funeral that might unveil unsavory family secrets.

Director:

Tyler Perry

Writer:

Tyler Perry

Stars:

Tyler Perry, Cassi Davis, Patrice Lovely

The trouble with the Tyler Perry films is that they could be quite awful, from a critic’s point of view.   But critics do not pay for tickets at the box office.  Perry’s films are often all over the place, preachy, rude, cheap and politically incorrect.  But they do bring on good laughs despite the complaint that the jokes are the same.  The latest and 11th of the MADEA film series  proves more of the same.  And the last one featuring Madea, though I hardly doubt that.  It has garnered generally negative reviews from critics but went on to be one of his most successful films to date.  Lionsgate Company is still enjoying the cash cow, though the company has not got a string of hits for some time.

This is arguable the laziest of Perry’s films.  Tyler Perry has opened his Tyler Perry studios and this film was shot there in a week.  Most of the acts consist of people sitting around in a room complaining and bitching.  Most of the time two or more of the characters are played by Perry himself.

One of the few scenes that take place outside the house involves Madea and the family being stopped by a white cop for no reason.  Madea tells the Tyler Perry character he wheel to drive and speed off but he insists on doing what is right.  The white cop, of course turns unnecessarily rude and gets everyone in the car worked up and someone might get shot accidentally.   The rest of the film takes place in the house, which means the film is extremely low budget.

There is hardly any plot or story in the film.  The two loose stories are one involving Madea’s dead relative. the unseen Anthony who is caught dead in the act while having S & M sex with a whore.  The reason of death is attempted to be kept secret from the other members of the family.  The other subplot evolves A.J. (Courtney Burrell) cheating on his fiancé for her sister during the wedding.  Of course, Madea has a say in all these 2 events – that is the reason Madea exists, to offer her loud opinion.

Tyler Perry introduces a new character into the movie, a crippled war veteran called Heathrow.  As expected, this character is loud, obnoxious sexist and plain nasty.  Not only is Heathrow (played by Very of course) in a wheelchair but he has to use a vibrator to speak because he has a hole in his throat due to cancer.  And Madea has to remark that she get an orgasm from the speaking vibrator.  Heathow is one of Perry’s funniest and rudest characters.

Madea also organizes the funeral to great hilarity.  Eulogies are kept to a minimum time like the Academy Award acceptance speeches,  No jokes will be revealed in order not to spoil your entertainment.

Nothing much else need be said about this Tyler Perry movie.  Those who know the Tyler Perry movies get what they expected.  No surprises but yes, plenty of laughs.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id61hcbdMZA

Film Review: CAPTAIN MARVEL (USA 2019) ***

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Captain Marvel Poster
Carol Danvers becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes when Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races.

Directors:

Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck

Writers:

Anna Boden (screenplay by), Ryan Fleck (screenplay by)| 6 more credits »

Stars:

Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn

CAPTAIN MARVEL turns out to be more a franchise moneymaker in the Marvel Comics Universe than a film.  At the end, the audience reads that CAPTAIN MARVEL will next be seen in the AVENGERS: ENDGAME film while a sequel is likely already in the process (the film ends with the Kree promising: we will return for the woman).  Exiting the theatre and immediate in sight are a row of empty ready to use buckets of popcorn with the Captain Marvel imprinted around its sides that tells it all.

The film opens with Carol Danvars, an ex-U.S. Air Force fighter pilot and member of an elite Kree military unit called Starforce.   Her DNA was fused with that of a Kree during an accident, imbuing her with superhuman strength, energy projection.   Danvers is a believer in truth and justice and a “bridge between Earth and space, who must balance her “unemotional” Kree side that is an “amazing fighter” with her “flawed” human half that is the thing that she ends up leading by.  This is tested by her mentor played by Judd Law, all buffed up and looking good for this role.

Danvars cannot remember her past but it is revealed later on in the film that everything she had believed in is a lie.  Even those she thought were the villains were not.  As such, the film suffers the lack of a true evil villain.

Though the film has a very weak storyline, the film puts emphasis on the relationship between Danvars and other characters – like her and her mentor and her and her best friend, Maria Ramveau  (Lashana Lynch) in the airforce.  Unfortunately, the result is still quite un-engaging.  

The film benefits from it its leading stars – Brie Lawson (from ROOM) and Samuel L. Jackson.  Larson took judo and wrestling classes before taking on the role.  Jackson lifts the spirit of the film with his comic and somewhat over-the-top portrayal of Nick Fury, the future leader of S.H.I.E.L.D.  He is seen here without his eye patch before he lost his eye.  Watch out for that part, which makes the film’s most hilarious moment.   This is where Jackson gets to utter his signature ‘motherf*****’ phrase.  (Jackson utters this phrase in almost every movie he is in.)
The big question then is whether the film is any good.  CAPTAIN MARVEL has a very thin plot and a story that really does not mean anything despite saving the earth and Universe in some form or other.  The special effects and CGI take over, and the film establishes the woman CAPTAIN MARVEL as yet another action super hero – and a strong one at that.  So, the film achieves its aim of establishing CAPTAIN MARVEL in the Marvel Universe while making lots of money, but the answer to whether it is really any good is debatable.  But the film should bring 2019’s box-office, currently in the doldrums up several notches after the film debuts the first two weeks.  And audiences will flock to see these action hero films, even when they are plain awful like BATMAN V. SUPERMAN or AQUAMAN.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1BCujX3pw8

Film Review: WHAT WALAA WANTS (Canada 2018)

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What Walaa Wants Poster
Raised in a refugee camp in the West Bank, while her mother was in prison, Walaa is determined to survive basic training to become one of the few women on the Palestinian Security Forces – …See full summary »

Director:

Christy Garland

Waala is the pre-teen daughter of an imprisoned woman, jailed for 8 solid years for terrorist activities.  When the film opens, the mother’s house was entered during her arrest, one of the soldiers yelling at her: “You are not a mother, you are no one, you are shit!”

The mother is released 8 years later and reunited with her family, namely her 2 daughters  and the younger son.  The mother seems to have tamed down, but one daughter, Waala  appears full of sprite.  What does Waala want?  Waala is rebellious at school, creating mischief that could result in delinquency detention, but she now wants to become a police woman in the Palestinian Security Forces.  Toronto filmmaker Christy Garland follows Waala from the ages of 15 to 21.

WHAT WAALA WANTS has garnished rave reviews including being selected as Canada’s Top 10 films of the year.  This an example of a case where a film is praised for its subject rather than its merit, though it is clear that there is still considerable merit in the film despite glaring flaws.  This is also a woman’s film with a woman director and producer and subject with the aim of showing how a young female can defy formidable odds to get what she wants.

For one the film’s continuity comes into question right at the beginning.  When arrested, the woman answers ‘no’ to the question posed by the solder if she is a mother.  Why then is there a son and 2 daughters present at her release.  No details are given as to what the mother was arrested for, except that she intended to drive a suicide bomber to his target  but got caught before.  Not much of the political climate is explained as well.  The film assumes the audience familiar with the current situation.  The film also uncomfortably shifts its subject from the mother to the daughter.  

The conflict scene between mother and Walaa looks weird as the two are never shown in the same frame.  The segment loses its effectiveness.  Question is why the two were unable to be filmed together.

The film contains lengthy middle section showing the details of the rigours undergone by Walaa during boot camp Palestinian training.  This is the most watchable segment where director  shows that What Walaa wants is not so easily obtained.

The film’s seemingly misguided narrative amplifies the fact that director Garland is indecisive as to what the film’s real goal is.  At one point, it is a story of a family undergoing hardship.  Then it becomes one about a girl’s coming of age.  Or is it one about the rigours of boot camp training?  The film never questions the gravity of the mother’s crime.  For Garland, being imprisoned is the crime against her and her family.  Should the mother serve life sentence for being part of a terrorist act that could have killed dozens of innocent people?

Tough WHAT WAALA WANTS falls into the documentary category, it hardly feels like one.  It feels more like a fiction film based on true incidents.

So does Waala get what she wants in the end?  It does not take a genius to determine the answer.  Despite illustrating life of a Palestinian teen in hardship, director Garland has more sympathy for her heroine than she deserves in a film that could do with clearer direction.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psmv9pe6RmM

The 91st Academy Awards 2019 – Winners List

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The 91st Academy Awards Ceremonies takes place on February the 24th Sunday at the Dolby Theatre at the Hollywood and Highland Centre in L.A.

Movie fans worldwide will tune as they seek to see who will come up with top Honors as well as what blunders that might occur.

This year marks one of the rare times the ceremonies will be without a host after comedian Kevin Hart got fired for making homophobic remarks.  The organizers promise a more dependable list of presenters.  As expected, quite a few jokes were made of the fact.

The ceremonies began with Adam Lambert’s rendition of “We Will Rock You” from the Best Picture Oscar Nominee BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY.  The first presenters Maya Rudolph, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler did a short stand-up spill to replace the usual 10 minutes opening routine by the host,

Changes are not necessarily be for the good.  One of the silliest, in my opinion is to have a total of 8 films nominated for Best Picture instead of the old 5.  This means more disappointments and there is no point, in my humble opinion to have more films listed only to be shunned.

Another change proposed was for the prizes for cinematography, film editing, live-action short and makeup and hairstyling to be presented during TV commercials.  This proposal was met with outrage and reasonably so.  Film editing and cinematography are key to a great film.  This year’s Oscar nominees for Best Live Action Short are nothing short of phenomenal.

Last year’s Oscars was the lowest rated ever.  The 91st should prove better.

The funniest speech was from Olivia Colman winning from THE FAVOURITE, though Spike Lee comes a close second.

Otherwise, a rather mediocre but noticeably shorter Oscar night.  Till next year…..

The full LIST:  Winners are indicted with asterisks.

Best Picture:

“Black Panther”
“BlacKkKlansman”
“Bohemian Rhapsody”
“The Favourite”
“Green Book” ***
“Roma”

“A Star Is Born”
“Vice”

Lead Actor:

Christian Bale, “Vice”
Bradley Cooper, “A Star Is Born”
Willem Dafoe, “At Eternity’s Gate”
Rami Malek, “Bohemian Rhapsody” ***
Viggo Mortensen, “Green Book”

Lead Actress:

Yalitza Aparicio, “Roma”
Glenn Close, “The Wife”
Olivia Colman, “The Favourite” ***
Lady Gaga, “A Star Is Born”
Melissa McCarthy, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”

Supporting Actor:

Mahershala Ali, “Green Book” ***
Adam Driver, “BlacKkKlansman”
Sam Elliott, “A Star Is Born”
Richard E. Grant, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”
Sam Rockwell, “Vice”

Supporting Actress:
Amy Adams, “Vice”
Marina de Tavira, “Roma”
Regina King, “If Beale Street Could Talk” ***
Emma Stone, “The Favourite”
Rachel Weisz, “The Favourite”

Director:

Spike Lee, “BlacKkKlansman”
Pawel Pawlikowski, “Cold War”
Yorgos Lanthimos, “The Favourite”
Alfonso Cuarón, “Roma” ***
Adam McKay, “Vice”

Animated Feature:

“Incredibles 2,” Brad Bird
“Isle of Dogs,” Wes Anderson
“Mirai,” Mamoru Hosoda
“Ralph Breaks the Internet,” Rich Moore, Phil Johnston
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman ***

Animated Short:

“Animal Behaviour,” Alison Snowden, David Fine
“Bao,” Domee Shi ***
“Late Afternoon,” Louise Bagnall
“One Small Step,” Andrew Chesworth, Bobby Pontillas
“Weekends,” Trevor Jimenez

Adapted Screenplay:

“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” Joel Coen , Ethan Coen
“BlacKkKlansman,” Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott, Spike Lee ***
“Can You Ever Forgive Me?,” Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty
“If Beale Street Could Talk,” Barry Jenkins
“A Star Is Born,” Eric Roth, Bradley Cooper, Will Fetters

Original Screenplay:

“The Favourite,” Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara
“First Reformed,” Paul Schrader
“Green Book,” Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly ***
“Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón
“Vice,” Adam McKay

Cinematography:

“Cold War,” Lukasz Zal
“The Favourite,” Robbie Ryan
“Never Look Away,” Caleb Deschanel
“Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón ***
“A Star Is Born,” Matthew Libatique

Best Documentary Feature:

“Free Solo,” Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi ***
“Hale County This Morning, This Evening,” RaMell Ross
“Minding the Gap,” Bing Liu
“Of Fathers and Sons,” Talal Derki
“RBG,” Betsy West, Julie Cohen

Best Documentary Short Subject:

“Black Sheep,” Ed Perkins
“End Game,” Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman
“Lifeboat,” Skye Fitzgerald
“A Night at the Garden,” Marshall Curry
“Period. End of Sentence.,” Rayka Zehtabchi ***

Best Live Action Short Film: 
“Detainment,” Vincent Lambe
“Fauve,” Jeremy Comte
“Marguerite,” Marianne Farley
“Mother,” Rodrigo Sorogoyen
“Skin,” Guy Nattiv ***

Best Foreign Language Film:

“Capernaum” (Lebanon)
“Cold War” (Poland)
“Never Look Away” (Germany)
“Roma” (Mexico) ***
“Shoplifters” (Japan)

Film Editing:

“BlacKkKlansman,” Barry Alexander Brown
“Bohemian Rhapsody,” John Ottman ***
“Green Book,” Patrick J. Don Vito
“The Favourite,” Yorgos Mavropsaridis
“Vice,” Hank Corwin

Sound Editing:

“Black Panther,” Benjamin A. Burtt, Steve Boeddeker
“Bohemian Rhapsody,” John Warhurst ***
“First Man,” Ai-Ling Lee, Mildred Iatrou Morgan
“A Quiet Place,” Ethan Van der Ryn, Erik Aadahl
“Roma,” Sergio Diaz, Skip Lievsay

Sound Mixing:

“Black Panther”
“Bohemian Rhapsody” ***
“First Man”
“Roma”
“A Star Is Born”

Production Design:

“Black Panther,” Hannah Beachler ***
“First Man,” Nathan Crowley, Kathy Lucas
“The Favourite,” Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton
“Mary Poppins Returns,” John Myhre, Gordon Sim
“Roma,” Eugenio Caballero, Bárbara Enrı́quez

Original Score:

“BlacKkKlansman,” Terence Blanchard ***
“Black Panther,” Ludwig Goransson
“If Beale Street Could Talk,” Nicholas Britell
“Isle of Dogs,” Alexandre Desplat
“Mary Poppins Returns,” Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman

Original Song:

“All The Stars” from “Black Panther” by Kendrick Lamar, SZA
“I’ll Fight” from “RBG” by Diane Warren, Jennifer Hudson
“The Place Where Lost Things Go” from “Mary Poppins Returns” by Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman
“Shallow” from “A Star Is Born” by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, Andrew Wyatt and Benjamin Rice   ***
“When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings” from “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch

Makeup and Hair:

“Border”
“Mary Queen of Scots”
“Vice” ***

Costume Design:

“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” Mary Zophres
“Black Panther,” Ruth E. Carter ***
“The Favourite,” Sandy Powell
“Mary Poppins Returns,” Sandy Powell
“Mary Queen of Scots,” Alexandra Byrne

Visual Effects:

“Avengers: Infinity War”
“Christopher Robin”
“First Man” ***
“Ready Player One”
“Solo: A Star Wars Story”