my picks for tomorrow night’s 98th Academy Awards (the Oscars for 2025’s films) (winners indicated)
I correctly guessed 12 out of the 24 categories, which is about as well as I usually do. (Ten of my “should win”s did win!) At least I’m consistent.
Sean Penn
One Battle After Another movie review: où est la résistance?
Brash, chaotic, full of bleak humor and bitter irony. With blockbuster vibes over an anarchic indie heart, it’s both earnest and winking. Outstanding in-flight entertainment for our societal freefall.
The Angry Birds Movie movie review: what the shell?
What the heck is this? Some sort of meninist political statement attempting to vindicate male anger? In a kids’ movie? Maybe men shouldn’t make movies…
The Gunman movie review: the yawn identity
A tired old piece of action junk that expects us to sympathize with a very bad man. We don’t.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty review: Ben Stiller’s excellent adventure
An airy fairy tale, buoyed by an infectious joy, about the very modern, bittersweetly pragmatic ache that comes with maintaining your soul and integrity as the world falls apart around you.
Gangster Squad (review)
Gangster Squad! In color! This is blustery postwar mythologizing about the violent birth of the modern metropolis, all pulpy-bright even when it’s night…
ha! Sean Penn doesn’t like ‘Tree of Life’ either
”Frankly, I’m still trying to figure out what I’m doing there and what I was supposed to add in that context!” says the actor…
The Tree of Life (review)
Tree of life? Tree of sanctimonious mopey male egotism disguised as a search for meaning, more like. Or a search for God. Or for nostalgia. Or for innocence. Or for Mom. Or for something.
The Tree of Life (trailer)
Having now seen the film, I can say that this trailer is more moving and more coherent than the film itself.
question of the day: Who should play Moe in the Farrelly Brothers’ Three Stooges movie?
Peter and Bobby Farrelly have cast MadTV’s Will Sasso as Curly and Will & Grace’s Sean Hayes as Larry. Will it be someone from the small screen as Moe, too? And who should it be?
