Welcome to the world of Critical Girl!

When I began this blog for my Spring semester Fundamentals of Digital and Online Media class, I had no idea how much I would enjoy this process. I find it so freeing to put your thoughts and opinions on an online platform for others to see. I feel like, overall, I’ve done a pretty good job at blogging for a beginner. There are definitely things I want to improve in the future though. I would love to do more content about all entertainment in the future, not just movies. This would include movie, tv, music, and Broadway news. I found myself aching to write about these avenues of entertainment, only to be limited by topic. I know I definitely want to be a better promoter of my content in the future. In order to do that, I’ll need to talk about my blog on all social media platforms including: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Tiktok, etc. My best experience making this blog was when I received my first blog follower. It made me feel proud. It made me think that maybe people I don’t know would actually be interested in what I have to say. This experience will help me fluff up my resume for future job interviews. I think having to write a blog is incredible writing experience. The type of research I did into movie news and movies in general will help me know exactly what I need to do to become a great casting director. Over all, this has been a great experience.

The question then is if anyone actually read my blog. Let’s look at the statistics. My most popular week was the week of March 23^rd. I had 8 visitors. 8!! So exciting! I also had 8 views that week. My most popular post was about the movie theater closures due to Coronavirus. You can read that here. I think it was my most popular post because it was so relevant. The most surprising stat is that I have someone who follows my blog! Hi, one follower! It’s been really fun, hasn’t it?

I hope to keep this blog going! It’s been a source of pride to me and it’s been a lot of fun to write! Until next time! We are living in a critical world and I am a Critical Girl!

How “Trolls: World Tour” May Have Wrecked the relationship between Universal and AMC Theatres Forever

It’s been a joke as of late that many relationships have been strained and possibly ruined by the quarantine everyone has been forced in due to the Coronavirus pandemic. People have started noticing things about their family members and spouses that they never really noticed before and slowly, many in America have seen the dynamic in their households shift. Since everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, is on hold, you would think that movie studios and movie theatres would be safe from pandemic’s trend of ruining healthy relationships. Unfortunately, it seems that no one is immune. Recently, due to all of the movie theatres being shut down during quarantine, Universal studios decided to release their new movie “Trolls: World Tour” for Video-On-Demand instead of waiting for when the world reopens. It was a risky decision because there was no telling how well the movie would premiere on that type of platform. Low and behold, that risk paid off. Three weeks after the movie’s video-on-demand release, “Trolls: World Tour” racked up an estimated $100 million! That’s fairly close to the $116 million the original “Trolls” movie made in its first three weeks. Needless to say, Universal is making a huge profit. When the news broke about the “Trolls: World Tour” success, the NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell went on record saying that “as soon as theatres reopen, we expect to release movies on both formats (VOD and theatres).” Personally, I think that’s the only logical decision for the movie company. We live in a digital age, and, as much as it pains me to say this, the movie theatre industry is dying. Less and less people are going to the theatres to see movies and more are just waiting for the movies to be released on streaming sites. Why limit yourself to one avenue when you have proof that a second one works? Release your films on both and double your profits! In my opinion, Jeff Shell made a very intelligent decision. Well, I guess AMC Theatres were feeling a little threatened by the competition video-on-demand releases pose to their business. The AMC Theatres chairman and CEO Adam Aron announced that all AMC Theatres in the USA, Europe, and the Middle East will no longer be playing ANY Universal films, effective immediately. When I heard this, I had to laugh. This really feels like AMC is throwing  temper tantrum.. It’s kind of like Universal is the mom that compliments both her children (VOD and AMC) and one of her kids (AMC) takes it as a personal insult that they weren’t the only one complimented. AMC, you are not that important honey. In fact, this decision is going to shoot AMC Theatres in the foot. AMC needs Universal a lot more than Universal needs AMC. Universal already proved that they can succeed in releasing movies on demand, no theatre needed. Without movies to show, AMC is just a fancy looking concession stand. Sure, they may have other movie companies like Disney, but Universal is still one of the biggest movie companies in the world. Just to show you the impact Universal has on the movie industry, here are some of the movies Universal has released in the last couple years: “The Invisible Man,” “1917,” “Good Boys,” “Yesterday,” “Us,” “The Hustle,” “Glass,” “Green Book,” “Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again,” “Truth or Dare,” “The Post,” “Happy Death Day,” “Get Out,” “A Dog’s Purpose,” “No Time to Die,” and many more. They make a large quantity of the movies in Hollywood, so, no matter how you slice it, AMC has lost a TON of future profit. They made a really dumb decision and I don’t feel sorry for them. If you would like to learn more about this colossal mistake, check out this interesting article by the Hollywood Reporter here.

With that, I hope that Universal continues to do well on video-on-demand and in 3other theatres. As for AMC Theatres…… May God have mercy on your soul. With that, we are living in a critical world and I am a Critical Girl.

How Hollywood has Started Valuing Fame over Talent and Why This Spells Disaster for the Movie Industry

As a 20-something college student, I love twitter. I use the social media platform as a source of entertainment and news. So if you’re like me and like to scroll through your Twitter feed more than you’d care to admit, you probably saw the newest Disney buzz of a live action “Hercules” being put into development. As a long time Disney fan and Geek mythology nerd, this news was thrilling to me.

I had been hoping for “Hercules” to get the live-action treatment ever since Disney started adapting its classics. Soon after this news was released, Twitter became a frenzy of casting possibilities. Soon enough, my feed was filled with star-studded dream casts for the “Hercules” movie. This, in of itself, didn’t alarm me, but as I kept scrolling, I saw that there was a common theme within these tweets. It seemed as though everyone and their mother wanted Ariana Grande, pop superstar, to portray Meg, Hercules’ sassy and sarcastic love interest, on the big screen. The buzz is perfectly portrayed here.

This buzz became so big that there was a rumor that Disney execs announced that Grande was at the top of their list for portraying Meg. Now, you might be wondering, “Maddie, what’s the problem with that?” At first glance, there’s no issue with the casting choice. Ariana Grande is a skilled singer and has experience acting. She was even on Broadway for a time. In fact, many fans claim that Ariana had revealed that Megara was one of her dream roles. Seems like a perfect fit, right? Wrong. If you look closer, you can see some glaringly obvious problems with this casting choice. For one, all though Ariana has experience acting, she has not seriously acted in several years. In fact, the last big project she performed in was “Hairspray Live,” which was disappointing to say the least. Ariana was not convincing as Penny and her voice, now finely tuned for pop music, seemed too abrasive for the musical’s songs. I’m sure Ariana Grande could hit the notes of Meg’s iconic solo “I won’t say I’m in Love,” but it would come out more as pop cover than an actual rendition. It just wouldn’t sound as the composers intended. You can see evidence of this in her rendition of “Beauty and the Beast” with John Legend. A pretty sounding rendition, but more for the soundtrack than the actual movie. On top of this, I have seen no evidence of Ariana Grande being able to pull off Meg’s sarcastic yet charming nature. Ariana’s acting resume has been limited to her playing sweet airheads like Cat Valentine in “Victorious” and Penny in “Hairspray Live.” I have not seen one performance of hers that has convinced me otherwise.

Now, you might be wondering how a casting director or Disney exec might miss these obvious red flags for the casting when I, just a college student who enjoys movies, noticed them. The truth is: if they cast Ariana, they won’t have missed them. They will have just ignored them. Nowadays film executives have become so concerned with making money, they don’t care if an actor is really right for the part. All they care about is if the actor will bring in audience members. Ariana Grande is a huge name is music and has an astronomically large fan base. If she was cast in “Hercules,” her fans would come flocking to the theaters. Who cares if she does the role justice if she brings in the big bucks? This type of celebrity casting has been seen again and again in recent years. Just look at the Young Adult dystopian movie “Divergent.” Shaliene Woodley, although a good actor, had no business playing Tris Prior. Woodley was soft-spoken and sweet where Tris was aggressive and harsh. She didn’t even fit the body type that Tris was supposed to have. Shailene was casted because she had acquired love from the masses in her portrayal of Hazel Grace Lancaster in “The Fault in Our Stars” and Aimee Finicky in “The Spectacular Now.” The studio execs thought she would bring in big numbers because of her star status and they were right….. for a time. The first movie was pretty successful, but even Woodley’s star status couldn’t hide the fact that she was so wrong for the part. The following movies “Insurgent,” “Allegiant Part One” and “Allegiant Part Two” were massive failures compared to the first. This trend can be seen many times throughout the movie industry. Executives have failed to realize that celebrity casting may make quick bucks, but in the long run, accurate casting is much more fruitful. Another problem with celebrity casting, is that it’s just plain BORING. I don’t know about y’all, but it gets so old to me to see the same actors casted over and over again. Where is the new talent?! Film studios have gotten in such a bad habit of just casting famous people, that they forget to look for a diamond in the rough. There are so many incredible actors out there just begging to be discovered, but they never will because Hollywood doesn’t give them a fighting chance. Let the undiscovered compete with the famous fair and square. That way people know for sure that the right person was casted for the right reasons. Lately, I’ve hated going to the movies because it feels like the producers are laughing at the audience. It’s like they’re saying, “Haha, we tricked them into seeing this movie because we casted so and so.” It shouldn’t feel like that. When I go to the movies, I want to be submerged in another world. That can’t happen if the characters are convincing. So, Hollywood, don’t make me grow to hate movies. Branch out. And as for Ariana Grande, if she is casted as Meg in “Hercules,” I hope she is casted for the right reasons and I pray that she does the role justice.  With that, I wish her good luck. For those undiscovered stars out there, shoot your shot and don’t give up. Who knows? You may be that be the one to break the “fame over talent” status quo.

We are living in a critical world and I am a Critical Girl.

My Recommendation for Another Movie Blog to Check Out.

Now, I know what you might be thinking. “Maddie, why are you giving me another blog to read when I could just read yours?” Here’s the thing: I am just one person. I am a current college student with a lot going on in my life. As much as I try to and want to cover everything when it comes to movie news, I realistically can’t. Plus, I’m new to this whole blogging thing. I’m still learning the ropes and haven’t quite found my footing in the blog-o-sphere quite yet. Luckily, I’m not the only movie blogger out there. I recently found a great blog that has up to date news, editorials and videos. The name of the blog is Birth.Movies.Death. First of all, that name is super creative and I think it describes a movie geek’s life perfectly. Like me, all movie geeks are born, have their lives consumed by movies and then die. Then there’s their layout. It’s very well done. It is black and white with sudden bursts of orange. It’s interesting, without being overwhelming.

Now beyond all that, their content is where it’s at. They have everything, from news to editorials to reviews. It’s very impressive. They also have a section completely dedicated to new releases. I clicked on their image for Universal’s “Emma” and acquired a wealth of knowledge about the movie that anyone contemplating seeing it would need. The “Emma” page had the poster, the movie’s ratings, the movie description, a link to the trailer and a list of the movie’s cast and crew. If you want to know if you should see a new release, this is the blog to check out. So, if you ever find something missing from Critical Girl (and I hope you never do), go check out Birth.Movies.Death which you can find here. We are living in a critical world and I am a Critical Girl.

How the Coronavirus has Halted the Movie Industry as We Know It

I usually approach all my blog posts with a smiling face and a happy, go-lucky attitude. I sit down in front of my computer and rant endlessly about my favorite topic: movies. Sadly, I can’t seem to find it in me to approach this topic with a positive attitude. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, (or in meditative isolation with no technology like Jared Leto), you are probably aware of the COVID-19 virus (more commonly known as the Coronavirus) and the impact it has had on the world. Thousands of people have died. Resources in grocery stores have quickly diminished. Entire countries have gone on lockdown. President Trump has urged all U.S. citizens to become socially distant and to self-quarantine. Recently, states have closed all restaurants and bars. Even Las Vegas’ bright lights have gone out. This all, of course, has had a terrible effect on all aspects of human life, including movies. Movie theaters, as they are seen as a non-essential element of human life, have been shut down during the quarantine.

Movies approaching their premiere date have postponed their release or all together cancelled it until further notice. Big movie names like “New Mutants,” “A Quiet Place II,” “Black Widow,” “Antlers” and many more have no future release date listed due to the uncertainty of the quarantine being over by a specific time. Heck, “No Time To Die,” the next big James Bond franchise movie, pushed its release from April 10^th to NOVEMBER 25^th! A whole seven months later! (A full list of movies and their new release dates can be found here. ) It’s hard to believe. It feels like we are living in a post-apocalyptic world right now and I’m just waiting for someone, anyone, to jump out and yell “Just kidding! It was a prank! There’s no virus! Go back about your lives!” Sadly, that has not happened as of yet, and I can’t see it happening any time in the foreseeable future. We now live in a world of sitting at home and waiting, but luckily, all hope is not lost for us movie-lovers. Some movie studios have raced to give their audiences their new movies to watch right in the comfort of their own homes! Universal studios has scheduled its newest releases like “The Invisible Man,” “The Hunt” and “Emma” to hit Video-on-Demand on March 20^th. Warner Bros., likewise, has scheduled “Birds of Prey” to be arrive on March 24^th.  It’s not exactly the same as the excitement of sitting through the coming attractions and watching the films on the big screen, but it’s a good alternative. This way, the studios and actors still get recognized for their hard work and we get to appreciate the movies we’ve been anxiously awaiting in our isolation. It’s a win-win. Now, go out (not literally) and watch these movies on demand! I know I will! With that being said, stay safe and hopefully this storm will pass. We are living in a critical world and I am a Critical Girl.

The Academy awards, a.k.a. The Oscars, were held on Sunday, February 9^th this year, and like many, I sat with bated breath to see who would walk out with a golden statue. Usually, the Oscars have some element of drama in the award ceremony. Either there’s some sort of upset (Olivia Colman winning Best Actress in a Leading role over Glenn Close last year) or an incredibly dramatic moment (I’m talking about La La Land being mistakenly called for best picture instead of Moonlight level of dramatic). I was excited to see what this year’s award ceremony had in store only to be disappointed. This year’s Oscars was, to say the least, boring. Most of the award winners had been predicted months in advance and it took the razzle dazzle out of the whole affair. Plus, there were some awards that I would have given to a completely different person. So, in the spirit of adding so retroactive pizazz to the Oscars, I thought I would write about how I would have doled out the awards in comparison to the Academy’s picks. (Disclaimer: I did not talk about every category covered by the Oscars because I did not see any of the movies in the categories I decided not to cover. The categories I do not cover in this post are as follows: Best Documentary Feature, Best Documentary Short Subject, Best Animated Short Film, and Best Live Action Short Film. I will also not be listing all the nominees. If you would like to see all of the nominees listed, click here.)

*SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THESE MOVIES AND DO NOT WANT TO HAVE ANY OF THEM SPOILED FOR YOU, STOP READING. I TEND TO GO INTO THE SPECIFICS OF THE MOVIES. THANK YOU*

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PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE WINNER: Brad Pitt in “Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood”

My Pick: Brad Pitt in “Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood”

Brad Pitt deserved this award. He was long overdue an acting Academy Award and I’m glad he nabbed it for this performance

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BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM OF THE YEAR WINNER: “Toy Story 4” (Josh Cooley, Mark Nielson and Jonas Rivera)

My Pick: “Frozen II”

I have a bone to pick with the Academy when it comes to this category. Frozen II deserved to win Best Animated Feature and IT WASN’T EVEN NOMINATED! There are so many reasons this movie deserved this award. (1) It was record-breaking. It became the highest-grossing animated movie in history, beating its predecessor. That’s unheard of, especially for a Disney movie! How many times have you heard of a movie sequel doing BETTER than the first? I know I haven’t heard of many. (2) I was not the biggest fan of the 1^st Frozen and I was reluctant to see the 2^nd, but the story really won me over. Looking into the origins of Elsa’s powers was such a brilliant idea and the more in-depth look into the fantastical world of Arrendale was fascinating! (3) The animation was astounding. You can’t tell me the ocean sequence where Elsa tries to reach Ahtohallen didn’t take your breath away! The ocean looked REAL! I have never seen animation as detailed as in this movie. (3) The songs were amazing. There were funny childlike ones like “When I am Older” and “Lost in the Woods” that made me crack up in the theater. There were also songs that caused me to sob like a baby like “Show Yourself” and “The Next Right Thing.” To say “Into the Unknown” is the only amazing song from this movie would be ignorant. I was blown away by the others. (4) This movie was a lot more mature than other Disney films and other animated films in general. It didn’t talk down to children. It dealt with hard-to-talk-about topics like grief, depression, and the fear of things changing that people deal with in adulthood. I really identified with the characters and their struggles and left the theater fully touched by the movie’s message. (5) As a personal preference, I preferred “Frozen II” to “Frozen for one important reason: I actually liked Anna in the 2^nd movie. Nothing against Kristen Bell because I love her, but Anna used to annoy me in the first movie. “Frozen II” matured her and rounded her out as a character. She felt real. She felt like a person trying to be positive in some of the bleakest moments of her life, unlike in the first movie where she came across as a girl being quirky for the sake of being quirky. All in all, this movie was brilliant. It deserved better and was definitely snubbed.

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ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY WINNER: “Parasite” (Screenplay by Bong Joon Ho, Han Jin Won; Story by Bong Joon Hon)

My Pick: “Knives Out” (Written by Rian Johnson)

I am going to get a lot of hate for this, but remember, this is my opinion! “Parasite” was the darling of the Academy’s eye this year. It broke records with its wins and number of wins. It had a very compelling story about class conflict and social inequality. Over all, I enjoyed “Parasite’s” story. Being that as it may, I really think “Knives Out” deserved this award. Reworking a popular genre is a very difficult thing to do. Agatha Christie really defined what a good murder mystery is, and as a society, we are used to the formula. The obvious culprit is never the murderer. If the detective is a professional, they are usually sophisticated and foreign, usually from Europe. If the murder involves the death of a wealthy influential character, the motive is always for the inheritance. Rian subverts all our expectations. Ransom is the obvious pick for the murderer. We immediately rule him out, but IT IS HIM in the end. Detective Benoit Blanc is played by Daniel Craig, a famous British actor, but he ends up having a southern drawl. And finally, the murder covered up to be a suicide ended up being a suicide. No one actually poisoned Harlan Thrombey, and his death was caused by him slitting his own throat. For all these reasons, Johnson’s script is brilliant and deserved the win.

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ADAPTED SCREENPLAY WINNER: “Jojo Rabbit” (Screenplay by Taika Waititi)

My Pick: “Little Women” (Written for the screen by Greta Gerwig) OR “Jojo Rabbit” (Screenplay by Taika Waititi)

I am pretty sad that “Little Women” didn’t take this one home. The script is heart-warming and heart-wrenching at the exact same time. The dialogue was brilliant and really brought these beloved characters to life. With this book having so many movie adaptations, it can be really easy to copy those that came before you, but Gerwig really made it her own. That being said, I am over all satisfied that ”Jojo Rabbit” took this one. Waititi somehow made a film about the Hitler Youth, Nazi Germany, and the Holocaust light hearted without insulting those affected by the tragic events. That is an achievement in film if I’ve ever seen one. Plus, seeing Taika Waititi, a Jewish person-of-color, play Adolf Hitler was a satisfying F U to the long dead dictator.

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ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION DESIGN WINNER: “Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood” (Production Design: Barbara Ling, Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh)

My Pick: “Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood” (Production Design: Barbara Ling, Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh)

I agree with The Academy’s decision on this one. The production design on the film was great! I don’t have much to say about it.

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ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN WINNER: “Little Women” (Jacqueline Durran)

My Pick: “Little Women” (Jacqueline Durran)

I LOVED the costuming in “Little Women!” Durran created costumes that fit the period and individualized the characters in such a unique and beautiful way. The fact that she gave each March sister a specific color palette was such a subtle detail that gave each sister a distinct spirit. I have always enjoyed Jacqueline Durran’s work in the past and she did not let me down in “Little Women.”

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PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE WINNER: Laura Dern in “Marriage Story”

My Pick: Florence Pugh in “Little Women”

Listen, I love Laura Dern. She’s a great actress. She did a good job in “Marriage Story,” but it was not an Oscar worthy performance. She played a tough-as-nails divorce lawyer that was all about female power and being a boss bitch. It was entertaining, but it wasn’t groundbreaking. I think many actresses could have played this part and do it well. Florence Pugh, on the other hand, changed an entire narrative. She took Amy, one of the most hated characters in all of literature, and made her likable. I even heard people saying that she was their favorite character. People who had been fuming for years because Jo and Laurie didn’t end up together were suddenly declaring that Amy and Laurie were perfect for each other after this movie and it’s all because of how Florence portrayed Amy. Where Amy was once calculated, spiteful, and spoiled, she became naïve, childlike, and willing to be better. While watching “Little Women,” I honestly forgot that I was supposed to be resenting Amy. Plus, she was completely convincing at both of Amy’s ages. I never would have known that she wasn’t twelve in the flashbacks if I didn’t come into the movie knowing she was 24 years old. She was sweet and innocent. She stole audiences’ hearts and I think the Oscar was stolen from her.

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(I was originally going to discuss the Achievement in Sound Mixing and Achievement in Sound Editing Winners here, but I eventually decided against it. It has been a hot button topic on the internet recently that seemingly no one understands the difference between these two categories, and unfortunately, I identify with this. I am not qualified to discuss Sound Mixing and Editing as I do not understand it, but if you would like to understand the difference between the two, go here. )

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ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY WINNER: “1917” (Roger Deakins)

My Pick: “1917” (Roger Deakins)

I don’t have a lot to say about the cinematography category. The “1917” cinematography was stunning. It had me in tears at the theater and I remember thinking while watching it that it was revolutionary for the movie industry. The one-take approach was seamless. What else can I say? This film was breath-taking!

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ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM EDITING WINNER: “Ford V Ferrari” (Michael McCusker and Andrew Buckland)

My Pick: “Ford V Ferrari” (Michael MCusker and Andrew Buckland)

I have no problem with the Academy’s pick in this category. As far as I could tell, the editing on this film was done well and I’m glad it won.

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ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS WINNER: “1917” (Guillaume Rocheron, Greg Butler and Dominic Tuohy)

My Pick: “The Irishman” (Pablo Helman, Leandro Estebecorena, Nelson Sepulveda-Fauser and Stephane Grabli)

I can somewhat understand why “1917” was awarded this category. Their visual effects were so subtle and seamless that you kind of forgot that there were visual effects, which is always a good thing. In my opinion though, “The Irishman” deserved the win. Their de-aging technology was flawless. Robert De Niro and Al Pacino looked as if the de-aged at least 20 years! All in all, the visual effects were phenomenal.

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ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING WINNER: “Bombshell” (Kazu Hiro, Anne Morgan and Vivian Baker)

My Pick: “Bombshell” (Kazu Hiro, Anne Morgan and Vivian Baker)

This was really clear as day to me that “Bombshell” deserved to win this award. The fact that I genuinely was convinced that Charlize Theron WAS Megyn Kelly for a few minutes, goes to show that the makeup team did a phenomenal job. They really transformed their actors into  the real Fox News anchors. This was a no-brainer.

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BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM OF THE YEAR WINNER: “Parasite” (South Korea, Directed by Bong Joon Ho)

My Pick: “Parasite” (South Korea, Directed by Bong Joon Ho)

Again, this was a no brainer. Out of all the international films this year, “Parasite” stuck out in a big way.

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ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES (ORIGINAL SCORE) WINNER: “Joker” (Hildur Guðnadóttir)

My Pick: “Joker” (Hildur Guðnadóttir)

I completely agree with the Academy on their decision in this category. This score was haunting, and really showed the instability of Arthur Fleck’s mind through its minor cords. Guðnadóttir composed such a unique score that really shown bright in the film’s “quiet” moments and really created an omnipresent character out of the music. It was very well-done.

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ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES (ORIGINAL SONG) WINNER: “I’m Gonna) Love Again” from “Rocketman” (Music by Elton John, Lyric by Bernie Taupin)

My Pick: “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from “Rocketman” (Music by Elton John, Lyric by Bernie Taupin) OR “Into the Unknown” from “Frozen II” (Music and Lyric by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez)

I’m pretty satisfied by this category. “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” was a brilliantly written song and I’m glad “Rocketman” took this one home, especially since it received next to zero nominations. If “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” didn’t win, then I think the award should have gone to “Into the Unknown” from Frozen II. This song took the world by storm. Not only was the song immensely popular, but the construction of the song was immensely intricate. Over all, I’m glad one of these two songs brought home the win.

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ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING WINNER: “Parasite” (Bong Joon Ho)

My Pick: “1917” (Sam Mendes)

I have to be honest. As much as I like Bong Joon Ho’s direction, I really wanted Sam Mendes to win this one. The idea to film a WWI movie in seemingly one take to make the action feel more real and put the audience in the soldiers’ shoes. I was blown away by the direction of “1917” felt revolutionary to me. I’m glad Bong Joon Ho took home the award because it definitely broke boundaries, but I do think Mendes’ direction should have gotten recognition.

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PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE WINNER: Joaquin Phoenix in “Joker”

My Pick: Joaquin Phoenix in “Joker” OR Adam Driver in “Marriage Story”

This was a hard category. I was happy with the results, but I would have been thrilled if the award had gone to Adam Driver. Driver gave such a raw, real performance. I was taken aback by his acting ability. I was no longer watching an actor, but a struggling, desperate man trying to fight for his son and put the pieces of his life together during a progressively messier and messier divorce. It was devastating. That being said, I am thrilled that Joaquin Phoenix won. Some movies make actors and some actors make movies. Joaquin Phoenix MADE “Joker.” This movie would not have been the success it was if a different actor had played Arthur Fleck. He exuded the slow insanity, and tragic well-meaning that was needed to portray Arthur and the malice and unnamed evil to eventually become Arthur’s alter ego Joker. It was a haunting performance, and although I do believe Adam Driver should have been recognized, Phoenix’s Oscar was well-deserved.

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PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE WINNER: Renée Zellweger in “Judy”

My Pick: Saoirse Ronan in “Little Women”

I love Renée Zellweger, I really do, but I don’t think the Oscar should have gone to her. She did a good job as Judy Garland, but “Judy” felt like Oscar bait to me. Biopics always tend to do well, so I wasn’t surprised that Zellweger won. I think the Academy also felt bad because Judy Garland never won an Academy Award while she was alive, so this win was for Zellweger was like an award for both of them.  On the other hand, Saoirse Ronan is the youngest 4-time nominee for good reason. Her performance in “Little Women” was spell-binding. She was relatable and sympathetic. Her version of Jo has my heart and I wish she was awarded for it. Fortunately, I think it won’t be long until Ronan gets her overdue Oscar.

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BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR WINNER: “Parasite” (Kwak Sin Ae and Bong Joon Ho, Producers)

My Pick: “Parasite” (Kwak Sin Ae and Bong Joon Ho, Producers)

I am ecstatic that “Parasite” won Best Picture. It was more than deserved and it broke boundaries in the film industry by becoming the first international film to win Best Picture. That being said, I don’t believe it won for the right reasons. I believe the Academy was desperate to prove how diverse it is by voting for “Parasite” instead of voting for it based on merit. I am all for diversity, but I think the merit of the actor or director or the movie should go above how diverse they are. Fortunately, I do believe “Parasite” was worthy of this award. If it had gone to a lesser movie just for the sake of diversity, I would have been disappointed. “Parasite” is an intelligent and well-crafted movie and I’m glad it came out on top.

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Thank you for reading my opinions of the 2020 Academy Awards! Hopefully, you agreed with my opinions or at least thought my opinions were interesting. If you disagreed with me, feel free to leave a comment and tell me why! With that said, we are living in a critical world and I am a Critical Girl.

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