Get Ready For The 2026 Golden Globes With These Golden Globe Nominated Performances, Part 2!

I review these Golden Globe nominated performances: George Clooney and Adam Sandler in  "Jay Kelly," Jennifer Lawrence in "Die My Love," Julia Roberts in "After the Hunt," Amy Madigan in "Weapons" and Tessa Thompson in "Hedda"]

Jay Kelly (2025)

Even famous, successful actors have regrets.

George Clooney stars as famous actor Jay Kelly, who finds himself looking back on his life.  After his latest film wraps, Jay wants to spend some time with his daughter, Daisy (Grace Edwards), but she has booked a trip to Europe with her friends.  Later, Jay is sad to hear that Peter Schneider (Jim Broadbent), the director who discovered him, has died, especially since Peter had asked Jay for some financial help and Jay had declined. And then Jay meets up with his former acting school roommate, Tim Galligan (Billy Crudup), and the two go for drinks and reminisce.  But the evening turns into a fistfight in the parking lot when Tim accuses Jay of stealing a part, one that would have made Tim famous. Jay is shaken by Peter's death and this incident.

So the next morning, Jay abruptly decides to forego his upcoming film, leave everything behind and head to Europe to find Daisy.  When Jay's manager, Ron (Adam Sandler), warns him that leaving the film will hurt his career, Jay ties the trip to a career tribute award ceremony in Italy that he had originally declined. When Jay arrives in Paris with Ron and his publicist, Liz (Laura Dern), he finds Daisy boarding a train, so they follow, but things don't go as planned. Jay invites Daisy to his tribute ceremony, but she declines, and later, Jay has flashbacks to his past, especially his strained relationship with his other daughter, Jessica (Riley Keough), who resents him for cheating on her mother. Things get worse for Jay as he discovers that Tim has filed a lawsuit against him for the fight, members of his team leave, a meeting with his dad (Stacy Keach) doesn't go well, Ron questions his relationship with Jay, and Jay questions his life, wondering if his success has been worth the sacrifices. 

"All my memories are movies."

Written by Noah Baumbach and Emily Mortimer (she also has a small role in the film) and directed by Baumbach, this is the kind of intimate comedy Baumbach is known for ("The Squid and the Whale," "Mistress America," "Marriage Story").  He has often collaborated with his wife, actress/director Greta Gerwig, who is also in this film. I have been a big fan of writer/director Baumbach's films, and this was another good one with a wonderful ensemble cast.  It says something about Baumbach's films that so many stars want to work with him, even playing cameos. 

But this film is all about Clooney, giving him a chance to show his softer side. It is said in the film that Jay plays a version of himself in all of his films. The same could be said about George, so one can't help but wonder how much of this film is about Jay and how much about George himself. But the film is also all about Sandler, the stoic sidekick, who pnce again exercises those same dramatic chops we saw in "Uncut Gems," toning down his comedic side to show his vulnerability. The two work well together here. Both have been nominated for Golden Globes - Clooney for "Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture -Comedy or Musical" and Sandler for "Best Supporting Actor..." 

I have to say that Crudup was overlooked.  Even though his part was small, he should have gotten a Best Supporting Actor nod as well, because when he was on screen, he killed it. He may have only been on screen for a short time but that shouldn't matter. As famous Russian director and theatre practitioner Konstantin Stanislavski said, "There are no small parts, only small actors." And Beatrice Straight won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for "Network" in 1976 and she was only on screen for five minutes!

So will Clooney and Sandler win Golden Globes in their categories?

Prediction:  I say no. Too much competition.

Rosy the Reviewer says...an intimate examination of the price of fame. (Netflix)

Die My Love (2025)

s an upcoming American dark comedy horror film directed by Lynne Ramsay and co-written by Enda Walsh. It is an adaptation of the 2017 novel by Ariana Harwicz about a new mother in the French countryside who develops postpartum depression and enters psychosis.

Jackson and Grace move into a remote house that Jackson inherited from his uncle, and after giving birth, Grace develops post-partum depression - in a big way.

Jennifer Lawrence stars as Grace in this film based on the 2012 novel by Ariana Harwicz adapted by Enda Walsh, Alice Birch and Lynne Ramsay and directed by Ramsay. Grace and Jackson (Robert Pattinson) move into a house in rural Montana left to him by his uncle.  They have moved there from New York. Grace is a writer, and they are happy there at first, indulging in rough sex, which I guess was fun for them - I don't judge - but then Grace gets pregnant, and after the baby's birth, problems arise.  Jackson is away for long periods, leaving Grace alone, lonely and bored, which results in masturbation, knife wielding, crawling in the grass, the killing of a dog, sitting in the refrigerator, spitting out drinks and nudity. Lots. Ever since Lawrence did full frontal nudity in "No Hard Feelings," the clothes are coming off. Lawrence has come a long way from Katniss Everdeen.

Things get worse and worse and worse for Grace and so does this overlong movie, despite an all-star cast.

Sissy Spacek and Nick Nolte also star, and though Spacek plays a key role as Jackson's mother, Nolte wonders what he is doing in this film. 

But the movie itself aside, Lawrence is nominated for a "Best Actor Female in a Motion Picture-Drama" Golden Globe and the film is really all about her, and she is all in, playing a woman with post-partum depression who falls into psychosis, but sadly the movie itself lets her down.

Will she win?

Prediction:  I say no.  Lawrence is good, but the movie isn't, so I think that will hurt her chances, and she has a lot of competition in this category. 

Rosy the Reviewer says...remember how I say "I see the bad ones so you don't have to?" Trust me. I saw it.  You won't like this. (available to rent on Amazon Prime - but don't do it)!

American dark comedy horror film directed by Lynne Ramsay and co-written by Enda Walsh. It is an adaptation of the 2017 novel by Ariana Harwicz about a new mother in the French countryside who develops postpartum depression and enters psychosis. The film stars Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson, with the former producing through her production compan

After the Hunt (2025)

A college professor finds herself in personal and professional conflict when her favorite student levels an accusation against a colleague and friend.

Julia Roberts plays Alma Imhoff, a philosophy professor at Yale.  She is married to Frederik (Michael Stuhlbarg), a therapist.  Alma has recently returned to work after an extended medical leave, but she is still experiencing frequent bouts of pain and may have a bit of a prescription drug problem. 

Frederik and Alma host a dinner party for Alma's fellow academics and students.  In attendance are Hank Gibson (Andrew Garfield), another professor and Maggie Resnick (Ayo Edebiri), Alma's top PhD student and a gay woman in a relationship with a non-binary partner. After the party, Hank and Maggie leave together.

The next day Maggie is absent from Alma's class, and when Alma returns home, she finds Maggie huddled outside her apartment, and Maggie confides in Alma that Hank had sexually assaulted her the night before.  Maggie's reaction is not particularly supportive, so Maggie leaves.  Later, when Maggie confronts Hank, he vehemently denies the allegation, asserting that Maggie came on to him and is making all of this up because he accused her of plagiarizing her dissertation.

What is Alma to do?  

Maggie is her favorite student and Maggie's parents are rich college donors, but Alma and Hank are also very close. You sense that there is, or has been, something closer between them. Both Alma and Hank are up for tenure. This could ruin his career but Alma also needs to do the right thing to protect her own tenure bid. Shouldn't women support women?  Who should she believe and what should she do?  Turns out Alma is carrying a secret that may have something to do with her reluctance to get involved.

Though not sure I like Julia as a blonde, she was good in this film, though I didn't particularly like her character.  Her "Pretty Woman" days are over, but she is still a pretty woman and a very good actress, and she showed an interesting side of herself. It's not often she plays a rather unsympathetic character.  Edebiri, who broke out as an actress in the TV series "The Bear," is also good but her character isn't particularly likeable either.

Written by Nora Garrett and directed by Luca Guadagnino ("Challengers," "Call Me By Your Name"), the film began with a very, very annoying soundtrack of what sounded like a ticking time bomb, and I guess as the movie played out, a case could be made for that, but the annoying sound went on too long and came and went a few other times during the film. Actually, the whole soundtrack was distracting and annoying. Most of the characters were also annoying, highlighting some of the worst kinds of academics. Chloe Sevigne was almost unrecognizable as a university psychiatrist, and she and Andrew Garfield didn't really have that much to do. In general, despite the serious subject matter, I just didn't really care about these characters. 

The ticking time bomb sound notwithstanding, the film lacked the tension one would expect for a movie on the subjects of the #MeToo Movement, an accusation of sexual assault, workplace misconduct and generational misunderstanding. It was a strange little movie that went on too long and didn't really seem to take a stand on any of the subjects or come to a real conclusion. And much was unexplained. For example, what does the title have to do with this movie?

Julia is nominated for a "Best Female Actor in a Motion Picture-Drama" Golden Globe.  Will she win?

Prediction: No.  She has too much competition from the other nominated actresses.

Rosy the Reviewer says...I can appreciate Julia's acting in this, but I didn't appreciate the film. (Amazon Prime)

Weapons (2025)

Seventeen children from a third-grade classroom in the town of Maybrook, Pennsylvania, run out of their homes at 2:17 a.m. and disappear. Only one student remains. Because it is only those children in that class who disappear, their teacher, Justine Gandy (Julia Garner), is blamed and thought to be a witch. 

Teacher Justine is suspended from teaching by principal Marcus Miller (Benedict Wong) under suspicion that she had something to do with the disappearance of the children. However, despite being treated like a pariah, she is determined to find out who is responsible. Alex Lilly (Cary Christopher) was the only child from her class who didn't disappear, so she stakes out little Alex's house and discovers something unsettling. In the meantime, she drinks a bit, okay a lot, and has a one-night stand with her married ex-boyfriend, Paul (Alden Ehrenreich), a local cop.

Archer (Josh Brolin), one of the parents of a missing child, is very suspicious of Justine and growing frustrated with the police investigation, so he starts his own. James (Austin Abrams), a homeless young drug addict, who while burgling Alex's house, also comes across something unsettling but before he can report it, he is caught by Paul. 

And then there is Gladys (Amy Madigan).  A flashback shows Gladys moving in with Alex and his family.  Gladys is a distant relative of Alex's mother and she is homeless and suffering from an incurable illness. She is also what one might call an odd duck.

Written and directed by Zach Cregger, the film plays out in a series of vignettes from each character's point of view - Justine, Archer, Paul, James, Marcus, and Alex - and eventually we see how they are all connected when their stories converge, resulting in a very gross ending. It's a tense horror/thriller made all the more horrific as it plays out in a mundane, quiet suburbia and feeds on the nightmares of parents - something happening to their children. Sometimes there is horror in the mundane. The story is original and nail-biting (watch out for those jump scares), the ensemble of actors excellent and the production values first rate. I really enjoyed it.  Sometimes I like a little fake horror in my life. My only complaints would be that the reason the children disappeared wasn't really explained well and who was that little girl narrating?

Amy Madigan recently won the Critics' Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Gladys and is up for a Golden Globe for "Best Supporting Female Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture," which is interesting because she doesn't appear in the film until almost 90 minutes in, but she is a pivotal, and shall I say, an eccentric character?  She reminded me of Bette Davis in "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?"

And I have to say that Julia Garner was wonderful in this and should have also been up for a Golden Globe as Best Actor.  A big snub.

The film itself is also up for an award for "Cinematic and Box Office Achievement," that made-up category I don't like meant to award films that aren't that arty but that did well at the box office. However, in this case, I think they did the film a disserve putting it there because this is a really good horror film and deserves to be in the "Best Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy" category - yes, it is horror but also sort of a comedy, though very, very dark.

Will Amy win? Will the film be recognized?

Prediction: I am thinking perhaps yes for Amy because she already has been recognized. As for this film, I think it deserves to win, but if "Sinners" doesn't win in the Drama category, it could win here.  I wouldn't like that because I didn't like that film.

Rosy the Reviewer says...a favorite.  If you like horror films, don't miss this one. (HBO Max)

Hedda (2025)

A modern reimaging of "Hedda Gabler," the classic play by Henrik Ibsen.

Norwegian playwright Ibsen's classic play involves Hedda Tesman (nee Gabler). Hedda is a bored, aristocratic newlywed as she struggles with a loveless marriage to George, a dull academic.  She gets involved with Eilert Lovborn, a writer, and the affair gives her a sense of power which, of course, considering the play was written in the 19th century, has to end in tragedy.  A woman couldn't take control of her own life in those days, especially if she was having an affair. And that is not a spoiler. I have to assume you know the story of Hedda Gabler. It's a classic often taught in school. 

Anyway, writer/director Nia DaCosta has taken this classic story and updated it to 1950's London instead of the late 19th century, compressed the story into a single night, totally changed the love triangle and given the story an ambiguous ending. Now instead of Eilert Lovborn, a man, Hedda (Tessa Thompson) is involved with Eileen Lovborn (Nina Hoss), a woman. Gee, I wonder what theatregoers in the 19th century would have thought of that!

The film begins with Hedda being interviewed by police at her estate after a shooting. Then flashback to 24 hours earlier when Dr. Eileen Lovborn arrives at a party that Hedda is hosting to help her husband, George (Tom Bateman), secure a professorship. Hedda and George are living above their means and George really needs this job.  However, Eileen is not only Hedda's past love but a rival for George's professorship.

When Eileen arrives at the party, it becomes evident that she and Hedda were formerly lovers. The sight of Eileen triggers an intense emotional response in Hedda, who still harbors feelings for her. However, during a private conversation, Eileen rejects Hedda's advances and declares that she has moved on with Thea (Imogen Poots), a new love. Eileen characterizes Hedda as a coward for refusing to pursue their relationship openly and instead choosing a conventional marriage to George.

The party doesn't go well with Hedda sabotaging her guests (she is not a very nice woman), especially Thea, Eileen's new love, and Eileen, by getting Eileen, who has become sober, to drink.  Then Hedda steals a manuscript from Eileen who was hoping to show it to a professor at the party and help secure the position and Eileen loses Thea. Things get worse and the party doesn't end well.

I am not a fan of the changes to this story, and the film lost me about half-way through. "Hedda Gabler" is often described as a female variation of "Hamlet" and hailed as a masterpiece of literary realism. If you have never read this play or seen it, and you want to, this is probably not your best introduction,  It has been changed quite a bit from the original, and not sure if I can recommend this version. You might try a 1975 film version - "Hedda" -  starring Glenda Jackson for a more faithful version. 

But that said, kudos to Thompson for a bravura and fierce performance as a woman pursuing her own goals at the expense of others. And I should say, Hoss was equally amazing.

Tessa Thompson is nominated for a "Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture-Drama."  Will she win?

Prediction: No.

Rosy the Reviewer says...very British, which I usually like, but very talky, which I didn't. I also didn't really like this version. (Amazon Prime)

See You At The Golden Globes!

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Get Ready For The 2026 Golden Globes With These Golden Globe Nominated Films, Part 1

[I review the Golden Globe nominated films "Frankenstein (the new version), "One Battle After Another," "Nouvelle Vague," and "Sinners" - And I make my predictions. Who will win?]

Frankenstein (2025)

A boy with a tyrannical doctor father grows up with the desire to outdo him, to have command over life and death. He creates a "monster."

Director Guillermo del Toro, who won a Best Picture and a Best Directing Oscar for "The Shape of Water" in 2018, has adapted Mary Shelley's famous work into a story of compassion and forgiveness rather than adhering to the "science gone wrong" concept. This is a reimagining of a story that has been told many times. Though Del Toro has changed some of the plotlines from the original story, such as Victor Frankenstein's backstory, Elizabeth's role and the creature's motivations, he has still captured the heart of Mary Shelley's work.

The film is divided into three parts: Prelude, Victor's Tale and The Creature's Tale. 

In the Prelude, it's 1857, and the Horisont, a Royal Danish ship sailing for the North Pole, is trapped in the ice. Alerted to an explosion in the distance, Captain Anderson (Lars Mikkelsen) and his men discover an injured Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac). After bringing him on board, they are attacked by a Creature (Jacob Elordi) who demands that they turn Victor over to him. Captain Anderson manages to shoot the Creature and sink him into the icy water after which Victor explains that he is the Creature's maker and tells his story

Part I: Victor's Tale

Victor's father (Charles Dance) is a renowned surgeon who abuses young Victor and favors his younger brother, William.  Victor grows up to also be a brilliant surgeon but an arrogant one, obsessed with wanting to be more powerful than his father by conquering death. It's the classic story of "I will show my Dad!"

When Victor is expelled from the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh for trying to bring corpses back to life, arms merchant Henrich Harlander (played by a toned-down Christoph Waltz) offers Victor unlimited funding and an isolated tower to continue his experiments where Victor harvests body parts from hanged criminals. He enlists his brother, William (Felix Kammerer) as his assistant and becomes smitten with his fiancee, Elizabeth (Mia Goth). 

Victor eventually creates the Creature and is amazed at his strength but becomes frustrated that he can only teach it one word - "Victor."  So he starts to abuse the Creature, just as his father had done with him, which in turn doesn't go over well with the Creature, who is eventually able to escape.

So that's Victor's story. 

And then when the Creature is able to get out of the water and get onto the ship, he tells his story.

Part II: The Creature's Tale

After escaping from Victor, the Creature befriends a blind man (David Bradley) living in a cabin in the woods.  The man teaches the Creature to read and speak. The Creature also becomes sentient and when he eventually discovers the truth about his creation, self-loathing sets in. He feels he is an outsider, misunderstood, hated, and realizing he cannot die and will spend eternity alone, the Creature begs Victor to create a companion for him. The Creature is not happy when Victor refuses, thus why the Creature wants to kill Victor. 

The film asks the question: Who is the real monster here?

So that's the gist of the film's story but there is much more and Del Toro has created a different ending that is a tear-jerker.

The film is two-and-a-half hours long, and you know how I feel about overlong movies, but I have to say, this one did not feel overlong.  It flew by, because every scene meant something, every scene was filled with emotion, not to mention the moody beautiful set design and cinematography, the incredible Victorian costumes and the exquisite score. And the acting is extraordinary.  Both Isaac and Elordi are wonderful. Hard to believe Elordi once played Elvis. 

Both Isaac and Elordi are nominated for acting Golden Globes as is Del Toro for Best Directing and the film for Best Motion Picture-Drama (the score was also nominated). The film has already won 27 awards and has another 90 nominations from other film societies.

So will this film win the Golden Globe for "Best Picture-Drama?" Will Del Toro win Best Director?  Will Isaac and Elordi win?

Prediction: I feel it should win and so should Del Toro and the actors. I think the main competition in this category is "Hamnet (not seen at this writing)," but this was truly a wonderful film experience.  It should win.

Rosy the Reviewer says...Del Toro has said "I dream that I can make the greatest Frankenstein ever..."  And he has. This is the best movie I have seen all year. Not to be missed! (Netflix)

One Battle After Another (2025)

Can a movie about revolutionaries and white supremacists be funny?  Well, yes, kind of.

"Ghetto" Pat Calhoun (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor) are members of a leftist revolutionary group called the French 75. While breaking out immigrants from a detention center at the U.S.-Mexico border, Perfidia comes across Capt. Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn), one of the commanding officers, and manages to sexually humiliate him in a very cringeworthy scene. However, didn't seem to bother him that much, because turns out our very white supremacist Steven J. Lockjaw has a thing for black women, and when he catches Perfidia planting a bomb, he releases her after she agrees to have sex with him, and such is the screw, pardon the pun, that turns this story. 

Later Pat and Perfidia become lovers, and then Perfidia gives birth to a girl named Charlene and they have a little family together. Mmmm, that little girl.  Who is the Baby Daddy?  One can't help but wonder. But Pat is all in and tries to persuade her to settle down, but Perfidia has postpartum depression, or maybe she is just bored, but anyway she abandons Pat and baby Charlene. She is caught after murdering a security guard in an armed bank robbery, but there is Lockjaw again, and he arranges for her to avoid prison in exchange for her to give him information on the whereabouts of the key French 75 members which she does. Perfidia enters witness protection and walks into Mexico (can you do that without a passport?). 

Pat and Charlene have been given protection by the French 75 and changed their names to Bob and Willa Ferguson and are living in the sanctuary town of Baktan Cross, Calfornia, a place that does not exist in real life, but fun to try to figure out where this was filmed. Turns out Eureka, Stockton and San Juan Bautista, all of those California locations were in this movie. 

Anyway, now it's sixteen years later, Willa (Chase Infiniti) is a free-spirited teen, and she has to be, because Bob has become a paranoid stoner. And through his vehement anti-immigration efforts, Lockjaw has become a colonel and a prominent figure within the US security agencies. When Lockjaw is invited to become a member of the Christmas Adventurers Club, a far-right white supremacist group, and they plan to do a deep dive into his personal life to see if he is lily white enough, he realizes he needs to find Willa and kill her to hide his past relationship with Perfidia. 

So now we have Bob and Willa, with the help of sensei Sergio St. Carlos (Benicio Del Toro) and Perfidia's former ally, Deandra (Regina Hall), trying to escape Lockjaw and his goons and Lockjaw trying to hide his past proclivities from the Christmas Adventurers. Lots of car chases and running around trying to avoid being killed ensues, and that is when the movie finally kicked in for me and it's description as a dark comedy resonated.

One of my criticisms of this movie is the title.  I can never remember it and not really sure how it figures in the movie. But my main problem was that it took me almost an hour to get into the film, and after some cringeworthy moments, such as when Perfidia first meets Lockjaw (not a fan of shock value moments - I actually said out loud "What the hell?"), I figured out it was supposed to be funny.

And did I say this movie is almost three hours long?  I have a problem with that too.  Directors these days seem to have a difficult time editing themselves.  And the soundtrack was really annoying at times.   

But despite my complaints, after the first hour, I was all in. 

Leonardo Di Caprio really shows his talent here.  He is really, really good.  I couldn't take my eyes off of him and Sean Penn?  Geez, that guy, whatever he does, he gives it his all and this movie is no exception.  I mean, just watch him walk.  That's acting! I see Oscar nods for both of them. And props to the other actors and to writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson ("Boogie Nights," "Magnolia," "There Will Be Blood"), who based the film loosely on Thomas Pynchon's book "Vineland."  

Though I think this film didn't need to be so long, Anderson has made an important film that speaks to where we are now.  There are all kinds of nuances that those of us who are not happy with the current political climate in America can relate to, such as rounding up immigrants en masse, authoritarian police forces and rich white men creating secret societies.

So will this one win a "Best Picture - Musical or Comedy" Golden Globe? Will Leo and Sean win in their categories? 

Prediction: With nine Golden Globe nominations, another 100+ other nominations and 110 wins already from other film societies, I say the film will probably win in this category. And Leo and Sean are right up there also as contenders in their acting categories. I also think Mr. Oscar is knocking at the door.

Rosy the Reviewer says...a timely film that will take you on a wild ride. I still haven't gotten over Sean Penn's walk. (available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime)

Nouvelle Vague (2025)

The making of Jean-Luc Godard's "Breathless (1960)," one of the first feature films of the French New Wave cinema.

Director Richard Linklater is on a roll.  He has two films nominated for a Golden Globe in the "Best Picture - Musical or Comedy" category - this one and "Blue Moon (which I reviewed in my last post on December 12)." Like "Blue Moon," which paid homage to classic Broadway musicals and the songwriting duo of Rodgers and Hart, this one celebrates filmmaking, paying homage to the French New Wave, which clearly was an influence on Linklater's own filmmaking.

In 1959, Jean-Luc Godard attends the film premier of "La Passe du diable" along with his fellow film critics at "Cahiers due Cinema" - François Truffaut (Adrien Rouyard), Suzanne Schiffman (Jodie Ruth-Forest) and Claude Chabrol (Antoine Besson), all of whom had already made movies. At the afterparty, Godard harshly criticizes the film and pledges to become a film director, as his other colleagues have. Later, Godard attends the Cannes Film Festival where Truffaut's film "The 400 Blows" becomes a resounding success, so Godard decides it is his time to direct a film, so he co-writes a short outline with Truffaut and off he goes to direct "Breathless.

The story of "Breathless" involves Michel Portail, a young, impulsive petty criminal in Paris who idolizes American movie gangsters, especially Humphrey Bogart. When he kills a motorcycle cop after stealing a car, Portail becomes a wanted man. Then he meets Patricia, an American student, and the two fall in love, but as Patricia learns of Portail's crimes, she questions their relationship and it all ends badly. Actress Jean Seberg (Zoey Deutch) enjoying the success of her film "Bonjour Tristesse," plays Patricia and Jean-Paul Belmondo (Aubry Dullin) is cast as Portail.  

So that's the gist of "Breathless," which became a classic of French cinema, but you would never know that would be the outcome because of the chaotic, impulsive and disjointed way that Godard directed the film, and that is what Linklater highlights in this movie. For example, there isn't a finished script, and on the first day of production, Godard films only one scene.  As production goes on, Godard wants spontaneity and improvisation rather than finishing the script.  There is no continuity and short shooting days.  Cast and crew, and especially the producer, Georges de Beauregard (Bruno Dreyfurst), become frustrated. After 23 days, Godard wraps production.  

When the film is shown, Truffaut, Chabrol and others dismiss the film, but we all know what happened. "Breathless" became one of the most daring and influential films ever made; Belmondo became an international heartthrob; Seberg went on to make 35 more films but sadly died from suicide at 40 (read her biography. Really sad what happened to her); and Godard went on to have a brilliant film career for over 60 years.

Many filmmakers have been influenced by the French New Wave and particularly by Godard.  And Linklater is clearly one of them. Written by Holly Gent, Vincent Palmo Jr. and Michele Petin, this is a little slice of French film life, a look into the early days of the French New Wave, but this film also seemed to be very niche.  

I wonder how many current filmgoers can relate to this part of film history, and who will recognize the famous names thrown around, because to enjoy the film, it helps to know the movers and shakers of the French New Wave. Famous names abound as well as famous quotes (Godard's most famous line - "All you need for a movie is a girl and a gun"), but that doesn't mean much if no one recognizes the names or the quotes. The film is black and white mostly in French with English subtitles, which is fine, but Linklater also chose to include closed captions like "chuckling" and "sound of car horn."  I found that very irritating.  Not sure what the purpose of that was. Linklater also seemed to be imitating Godard's style of filmmaking because the movie felt very disjointed and chaotic at times. But the actors were great and the production values captured the times and did mimic the filmmaking of that era, and, of course, there were lots and lots of cigarettes.

Linklater pays homage to French New Wave cinema and perhaps hoped that this little film would ignite interest in that part of film history.  Not sure that will happen.

Will it win a Golden Globe for "Best Picture - Musical or Comedy?"

Prediction: I say no, and it doesn't help that Linklater's "Blue Moon" is also nominated in this category.  They could cancel each other out.

Rosy the Reviewer says...an interesting little love letter from Linklater to Godard and French New Wave cinema, but I wonder if the general movie going public can relate (Netflix).

Sinners (2025)

What does a black community in the 1930's South have to do with vampires? Nothing really but it makes for an intriguing concept in this tale about twin brothers returning from their troubled lives in Chicago only to find more trouble.

Michael B. Jordan plays identical twins and World War I veterans Elijah "Smoke" and Elias "Stack" Moore (get it?  Smoke-Stack? - lol) who return to Clarksdale, Mississippi, after spending seven years in Chicago. These guys are gangsters and they have returned to their small town to start a juke joint for the local Black community. They are accompanied by their young cousin, Sammie (Miles Caton), AKA Preacher Boy, who is a blues singer.

They reunite with Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo), a blues harmonica player; Grace (Li Jun Li) and Bo Chow (Yao), local Chinese shopkeepers; field worker Cornbread Omar Benson Miller); and Smoke's wife, Annie (Wunmi Mosaku).  Delta will perform in the joint, Grace and Bo will supply the food, Cornbread will be the bouncer and Annie will cook.

In the meantime, Mary (Hailee Steinfeld), Stack's ex-girlfriend shows up. As an aside, Annie believes in Hoodoo and thinks that she has kept the twins safe over the years, but that is yet to be determined because there are vampires afoot. What? Vampires?

Anyway, on the joint's opening night, the music attracts Remmick (Jack O'Connell), who is a KKK guy and also a vampire (huge metaphor there) and his fellow vampires, and it all goes to hell after that.

Michael B. Jordan is nominated for a Best Actor Golden Globe and it's well deserved as he played both brothers and each is distinctive. Written and directed by Ryan Coogler, the film is nominated for another six Golden Globe awards and has already won 124 awards from other film societies, but this movie just didn't do it for me. It took too long to get going, and when the vampires finally showed up, I couldn't help but think, where did the vampires come from? What do they have to do with this? 

Despite the focus on the music, traditions, culture and the struggles of the black community in the 1930's South as well as the moody and sometimes beautiful cinematography, good acting, and, yes, vampires...sorry, I just didn't get it, much as I love vampires. If you are going to do black culture, do black culture, and if you are going to do vampires, do vampires, but mashing them together, didn't work for me.

So will this win "Best Picture - Drama?"  Will Michael B. Jordan win Best Actor-Drama?"

Prediction: I say, no. Despite the stylish presentation and the metaphor, I just could not get into this movie.  And I also think Michael B. Jordan has some stiff competition in the Best Actor-Drama category.

Rosy the Reviewer says...even though I kind of like vampires, I didn't find this a satisfying movie experience. It was a very bizarre vampire movie. The movie actually could have done without the vampires. (streaming on HBO Max and Hulu).

See You Next Time For More on the Golden Globes!

And Happy New Year!

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