[I review the movies "Heretic," "A Different Man," "Maria" and "Lee," all award-nominated and/or award-winning films. Did they deserve recognition? Are more awards on the way? We shall see. Read on.]
Heretic (2024)
Now our first clue that this is a horror film is the fact that Mr. Reed's house is in a very remote, dark area. When the young women arrive, Mr. Reed appears to be alone when he answers the door and invites them in. But they tell him they are not allowed to be alone with a man, but he assures them that his wife is preparing a blueberry pie in the back of the house. And in fact, Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton smell blueberries, so all must be well. And m-m-m-m, blueberry pie. They begin to discuss their religion with Mr. Reed, but it isn't long before Mr. Reed makes several uncomfortable comments about their Mormon faith and the nature of belief. And when he steps out of the room, Sister Barnes realizes that the smell of blueberry pie is from a candle, the front door is locked, and they have no phone signal.
Uh-oh. Let the horror story play out. Girls, LEAVE NOW...er, if you can!
After haranguing the young women with his disappointment with religion, Reed initiates a "The Lady or the Tiger" type game. He gives them a choice of two doors to go through to get out of the house. Door #1 if they still believe in God; Door #2 if they no longer believe. They enter the "Belief" door but discover that both doors lead to the same dungeon.
Wait. It gets worse. It's what's down there.
Written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, this is a tense cat and mouse game with great dialogue, atmospheric cinematography and a message: why do we believe what we believe? But despite a deeper message, this is still a classic horror film that will not only keep you on the edge of your seat but mess with your mind - and it's fun to see Grant chewing the scenery as a bad guy after years as a romantic lead and humorous curmudgeon. He is particularly creepy here, but in a very entertaining way. And the young actresses give him a run for his money.
Awards: 23 nominations, most for Grant's performance, notably a Golden Globe and a Critics' Choice nomination for Best Actor (Critics' Choice Awards to be decided January 12th).
Will this get an Oscar nod? I think Grant might, but even though the film is good and entertaining (I liked it), I don't think the movie will. The Academy doesn't usually reward horror films.
Rosy the Reviewer says...if you are a horror fan and especially a Hugh Grant fan, you will enjoy this. (For rent on Amazon Prime and Apple+)
A Different Man (2024)
Edward Lemuel (Sebastian Stan) is a struggling actor with neurofibromatosis that manifests as a disfiguring facial condition. That's not an easy issue to deal with if you are an actor and Edward has been relegated to corporate films highlighting how important it is to be sensitive to those with disabilities. He is a lonely guy who is not very outgoing and tries to hide his face. However, he is happy when Ingrid (Renate Reinsve), an aspiring playwright, moves in next door. They become friends and Edward has romantic feelings toward her but is too afraid to act on them.
Then, Edward is given the opportunity for an experimental medical treatment and he takes it, and wouldn't you know? It actually cures him and suddenly he is handsome. And he doesn't want to be Edward anymore - that ugly guy - so he assumes the identity of "Guy Moratz" and wants to leave Edward behind. He claims that Edward has killed himself and in a way, I guess he has (I have to say that this movie reminded me of a guy version of "The Substance").
Time passes and we learn that Guy/Edward is now a wealthy and successful real estate agent and all is going well until one day, he discovers that Ingrid has written and is producing an off-Broadway play called "Edward," and guess whose life it is based on? Edward auditions for the part and gets it and it doesn't hurt that he has a mask of his old face. He and Ingrid begin a sexual relationship, though Ingrid remains unaware of the truth of his identity.
Then enter Oswald (Adam Pearson), stage left. Oswald also suffers from neurofibromatosis, and because of that, has taken an interest in the play. Unlike Edward, however, who was reclusive and shy when he was suffering neurofibromatosis, Oswald is confident and charismatic and becomes the life of the party, befriending the cast and crew, much to Edward's chagrin.
Suddenly Ingrid and Oswald are close and it's downhill from there for Edward. And it's a nightmare. However, the film ends with a wonderfully funny and ironic line, so watch for it.
So is this a comedy?
Barely and if so, a very dark one. Written and directed by Aaron Schimberg, the whole movie plays like a B-movie version of "Frankenstein," except in reverse. There is an ominous noir soundtrack, a "mad doctor," and then his creation, a new Edward, except this time the creation goes from ugly to handsome. However, we are reminded that changing our appearance does not necessarily change our personalities or make our lives better. We can't change who we are on the inside just by changing ourselves on the outside.
You might not be familiar with Sebastian Stan and that could be because he is a man of many faces. He has been Tommy Lee in the TV mini-series "Pam and Tommy (2022)," Vlad Tenev, the Bulgarian-American entrepreneur, in "Dumb Money (2023)," and Donald Trump in "The Apprentice (2024)," to name a few of his roles. And now he literally plays a man with two faces, that lead him down a nightmarish path.
Awards: The movie has 38 nominations and seven wins, most notably a 2025 Golden Globe win for Stan for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy and a Best Leading Performance award at the 2024 Berlin Film Festival.
It will be interesting to see if Stan gets an Oscar nomination. I predict he will. Not sure about the movie, though this is the kind of film the Academy likes but not sure if it had a wide enough release.
Rosy the Reviewer says...though Stan's performance is amazing, this is a very strange film that has some very uncomfortable moments. It's not for everyone. (For rent on Amazon Prime and Apple+)
Biopic about Lee Miller, an ex-fashion model and photographer who became an acclaimed war correspondent for Vogue Magazine during WWII.
No one today probably knows who Lee Miller was but it's clear that Kate Winslet wants you to know, and Miller, indeed, had a compelling story and interesting life.
It's 1977, and Lee Miller (Winslet) tells her story to an anonymous interviewer, and through a series of flashbacks we see her life unfold.
Lee was a model in New York City as well as an aspiring photographer. She also was the muse for artist Man Ray, though the film doesn't go into that relationship much. In flashback, as Miller tells her story to her interviewer, she begins in 1937 when she was living a bohemian lifestyle in Europe (and yes, Kate takes her top off as she seems to do in most movies) as a bon vivant. She meets and falls in love with Roland Penrose (Alexander Skarsgard). The two move to London where Lee becomes a photographer for Vogue and photographs Londoners as they cope with The Blitz during WWII. She wants to go over to mainland Europe to photograph what is really happening with the war, but the UK restricts women from serving near combat. However, when the U.S. enters the war, she is able to get overseas where the action is alongside photojournalist David Scherman (Andy Samberg, yes, that Andy Samberg).
During the Liberation of Paris, she was able to photograph the public shaming of Parisian women who were accused of collaborating with the Nazis, but it was her photos of the atrocities committed at Buchenwald and Dachau that put her on the map as a serious war journalist, though many of her photographs were never published because they were considered too "upsetting."
After her stint overseas, Lee suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and alcoholism and it wasn't until after her death that she attained the respect she deserved.
Kate Winslet is always good, and here she puts in a tour de force performance as the young-ish Lee all the way to the old Lee. Winslet was also one of the producers and it is apparent that this was very much a labor of love for her. But here's the surprise. Andy Samberg also stars...in a dramatic role! I didn't recognize him at first but there he was and he was very believable.
Awards: Nine nominations (Winslet nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress) and one win (Women in Film Crystal Award).
Though Winslet deserves an Oscar nod, I am thinking this film written by Liz Hannah, Marion Hume, and John Collee and directed by Ellen Kuras was not widely seen so she could be overlooked, likewise the film.
Rosy the Reviewer says...Winslet puts in a wonderful performance highlighting the life of a woman who deserves to be remembered (you should know about this woman). The ending is particularly poignant when it was revealed who her interviewer was. I cried. (Hulu and for rent on Apple+)
See You Next Time!
