2022 OSCARS: My Predictions in the Top 8 Categories

Here is my annual prediction post for the 2022 Oscars, i.e. the 94th Academy Awards. I really just consider the Top 8 categories on the blog but I often play the Oscar prediction game like lots of other people (on other websites) where I think about all 24 categories.  In 2019 I predicted 4 of 8 categories correctly and in 2020 I predicted 6 of 8 correctly.  Last year, I predicted 5 of 8 correctly. This year I have seen 7 of the (bolded) 10 Best Picture nominees (haven't seen Drive My Car, West Side Story or CODA). I do intend to see CODA regardless of whether it wins Best Picture.

Best Picture:

• "Belfast" 
• "CODA" 
• "Don't Look Up"
• "Drive My Car"
• "Dune" 
• "King Richard"
• "Licorice Pizza"
  
• "Nightmare Alley"
• "The Power of the Dog"
• "West Side Story"

SHOULD WIN: Dune.
WILL WIN: The Power of the Dog.

Director:

• Kenneth Branagh (“Belfast”)
• Ryusuke Hamaguchi (“Drive My Car”)
• Paul Thomas Anderson (“Licorice Pizza”)
• Jane Campion (“The Power of the Dog”)
  
• Steven Spielberg (“West Side Story”)

SHOULD WIN: Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog.

WILL WIN: Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog.

Lead Actor:

• Javier Bardem (“Being the Ricardos”)
• Benedict Cumberbatch (“The Power of the Dog”)
• Andrew Garfield (“Tick,Tick,...Boom!")
• Will Smith (“King Richard”)
• Denzel Washington  (“The Tragedy of Macbeth”)

SHOULD WIN: Will Smith, King Richard.

WILL WIN: Will Smith, King Richard.

Lead Actress:

• Jessica Chastain (“The Eyes of Tammy Faye”)
• Olivia Colman (“The Lost Daughter”)
• Penélope Cruz (“Parallel Mothers”)
• Nicole Kidman  (“Being the Ricardos”)
• Kristen Stewart (“Spencer”)
  

SHOULD WIN: Kristen Stewart, Spencer.

WILL WIN: Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye

Supporting Actor:

• Ciarán Hinds (“Belfast”)
• Troy Kotsur (“CODA”)
• Jesse Plemons (“The Power of the Dog”)
• J.K. Simmons (“Being the Ricardos”)
• Kodi Smit-McPhee  (“The Power of the Dog”)

SHOULD WIN: Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog.

WILL WIN: Troy Katsur, CODA.

Supporting Actress:

• Jessie Buckley (“The Lost Daughter”)
• Ariana DeBose (“West Side Story”)
• Judi Dench (“Belfast”)
• Kirsten Dunst  (“The Power of the Dog”)
• Aunjanue Ellis (“King Richard”)

SHOULD WIN: Aunjanue Ellis, King Richard.

WILL WIN: Ariana DeBose, West Side Story.

Original Screenplay:

• Kenneth Branagh (“Belfast”)
• Adam McKay; Story by Adam McKay & David Sirota (“Don't Look Up”)
• Zach Baylin (“King Richard”)
• Paul Thomas Anderson ("Licorice Pizza")
• Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier (“The Worst Person in the World”)
  

SHOULD WIN: Belfast.

WILL WIN: Belfast.

Adapted Screenplay:

• Siân Heder (“CODA”)
• Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Takamasa Oe (“Drive My Car”)
• Jon Spaihts and Denis Villeneuve and Eric Roth (“Dune”)
• Maggie Gyllenhaal ("The Lost Daughter")
• Jane Campion (“The Power of the Dog”)
  

SHOULD WIN: Dune.

WILL WIN: CODA.

2018 OSCARS: My Predictions for the Top 8 Categories

Here is my prediction's post for the Top 8 categories in this year's Oscars, the 90th Annual Academy Awards. In blue are the people who I want to win, or who I would vote for (if I had an Oscar ballot) while in red are the people who I think will win. Last year I only predicted 3 of the Top  8 categories correctly (in both of the red and blue votes); Overall I did better, predicting 14 of 24 categories correctly.

Best Picture:

• “Call Me by Your Name”
• “Darkest Hour”
• “Dunkirk”
• “Get Out”
• “Lady Bird”
• “Phantom Thread”
• “The Post”
• “The Shape of Water”
• “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

(The ones in bold are the Best Picture nominees I have seen as of this writing.)

WILL WIN: The Shape of Water.

SHOULD WIN: Get Out.

Director:

• “Dunkirk,” Christopher Nolan
• “Get Out,” Jordan Peele
• “Lady Bird,” Greta Gerwig
• “Phantom Thread,” Paul Thomas Anderson
• “The Shape of Water,” Guillermo del Toro

WILL WIN: The Shape of Water, Guillermo del Toro.

SHOULD WIN: Dunkirk, Christopher Nolan.

Lead Actor:

• Timothée Chalamet, “Call Me by Your Name”
• Daniel Day-Lewis, “Phantom Thread”
• Daniel Kaluuya, “Get Out”
• Gary Oldman, “Darkest Hour”
• Denzel Washington, “Roman J. Israel, Esq.”

WILL WIN: Darkest Hour, Gary Oldman.

SHOULD WIN: Call Me By Your Name, Timothée Chalamet.

Lead Actress:

• Sally Hawkins, “The Shape of Water”
• Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
• Margot Robbie, “I, Tonya”
• Saoirse Ronan, “Lady Bird”
• Meryl Streep, “The Post”

WILL WIN: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Frances McDormand.

SHOULD WIN: Ladybird, Saoirse Ronan.

Supporting Actor:

• Willem Dafoe, “The Florida Project”
• Woody Harrelson, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
• Richard Jenkins, “The Shape of Water”
• Christopher Plummer, “All the Money in the World”
• Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

WILL WIN: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Sam Rockwell.

SHOULD WIN: The Shape of Water, Richard Jenkins.

Supporting Actress:

• Mary J. Blige, “Mudbound”
• Allison Janney, “I, Tonya”
• Lesley Manville, “Phantom Thread”
• Laurie Metcalf, “Lady Bird”
• Octavia Spencer, “The Shape of Water”

WILL WIN: I, Tonya, Allison Janney.

SHOULD WIN: Lady Bird, Laurie Metcalfe.

Adapted Screenplay:

• “Call Me by Your Name,” James Ivory
• “The Disaster Artist,” Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber
• “Logan,” Scott Frank & James Mangold and Michael Green
• “Molly’s Game,” Aaron Sorkin
• “Mudbound,” Virgil Williams and Dee Rees

WILL WIN: Call Me By Your Name, James Ivory.

SHOULD WIN: Call Me By Your Name, James Ivory .

Original Screenplay:

• “The Big Sick,” Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani
• “Get Out,” Jordan Peele
• “Lady Bird,” Greta Gerwig
• “The Shape of Water,” Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor
• “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Martin McDonagh

WILL WIN: Get Out, Jordan Peele.

SHOULD WIN: The Big Sick, Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani.

2018 OSCARS: Nominations List For Top 8 Categories

Best Picture:

• “Call Me by Your Name”
• “Darkest Hour”
• “Dunkirk”
• “Get Out”
• “Lady Bird”
• “Phantom Thread”
• “The Post”
• “The Shape of Water”
• “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

(The ones in bold are the Best Picture nominees I have seen so far.)

Director:

• “Dunkirk,” Christopher Nolan
• “Get Out,” Jordan Peele
• “Lady Bird,” Greta Gerwig
• “Phantom Thread,” Paul Thomas Anderson
• “The Shape of Water,” Guillermo del Toro

Lead Actor:

• Timothée Chalamet, “Call Me by Your Name”
• Daniel Day-Lewis, “Phantom Thread”
• Daniel Kaluuya, “Get Out”
• Gary Oldman, “Darkest Hour”
• Denzel Washington, “Roman J. Israel, Esq.”

Lead Actress:

• Sally Hawkins, “The Shape of Water”
• Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
• Margot Robbie, “I, Tonya”
• Saoirse Ronan, “Lady Bird”
• Meryl Streep, “The Post”

Supporting Actor:

• Willem Dafoe, “The Florida Project”
• Woody Harrelson, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
• Richard Jenkins, “The Shape of Water”
• Christopher Plummer, “All the Money in the World”
• Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Supporting Actress:

• Mary J. Blige, “Mudbound”
• Allison Janney, “I, Tonya”
• Lesley Manville, “Phantom Thread”
• Laurie Metcalf, “Lady Bird”
• Octavia Spencer, “The Shape of Water”

Adapted Screenplay:

• “Call Me by Your Name,” James Ivory
• “The Disaster Artist,” Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber
• “Logan,” Scott Frank & James Mangold and Michael Green
• “Molly’s Game,” Aaron Sorkin
• “Mudbound,” Virgil Williams and Dee Rees

Original Screenplay:

• “The Big Sick,” Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani
• “Get Out,” Jordan Peele
• “Lady Bird,” Greta Gerwig
• “The Shape of Water,” Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor
• “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Martin McDonagh

2017 #OSCARS: My Prediction in the Top 8 Categories

Below are my predictions for the Top 8 categories for the 89th annual Academy Awards. Last year I correctly predicted 6 of the Top 8 categories. Below I put in red the movie or person I want to win, and in blue the person I think actually will win.

Picture 

• “Arrival” 
• “Fences” 
• “Hacksaw Ridge”
• “Hell or High Water”
• “Hidden Figures”
• “La La Land”
• “Lion”
• “Manchester by the Sea”
• “Moonlight”

WILL WIN: La La Land.

SHOULD WIN: La La Land.

Directing

• Denis Villeneuve, “Arrival”
• Mel Gibson, "Hacksaw Ridge"
• Damien Chazelle, “La La Land”
• Kenneth Lonergan, “Manchester by the Sea”
• Barry Jenkins, “Moonlight”

WILL WIN: Damien Chazelle, “La La Land.”

SHOULD WIN: Denis Villeneuve, “Arrival.”

Actress in a Leading Role:

• Isabelle Huppert, “Elle”
• Ruth Negga, “Loving”
• Natalie Portman, “Jackie”
• Emma Stone, “La La Land”
• Meryl Streep, “Florence Foster Jenkins”

WILL WIN: Emma Stone, “La La Land.”

SHOULD WIN: Ruth Negga, “Loving.”

Actor in a Leading Role

• Casey Affleck, “Manchester by the Sea”
• Andrew Garfield, “Hackshaw Ridge”
• Ryan Gosling, “La La Land”
• Viggo Mortensen, “Captain Fantastic”
• Denzel Washington, “Fences”

WILL WIN: Denzel Washington, “Fences.”

SHOULD WIN: Ryan Gosling, “La La Land.”

Actress in a Supporting Role:

• Viola Davis, “Fences”
• Naomie Harris, “Moonlight”
• Nicole Kidman, “Lion”
• Octavia Spencer, “Hidden Figures”
• Michelle Williams, “Manchester by the Sea”

WILL WIN: Viola Davis, “Fences.”

SHOULD WIN: Viola Davis, “Fences.”

Actor in a Supporting Role

• Mahershala Ali, “Moonlight”
• Jeff Bridges, “Hell or High Water”
• Lucas Hedges, “Manchester by the Sea”
• Dev Patel, “Lion”
• Michael Shannon, “Nocturnal Animals”

WILL WIN: Michael Shannon, “Nocturnal Animals.”

SHOULD WIN: Mahershala Ali, “Moonlight.”

Adapted Screenplay

•  “Lion,” by Luke Davis
•  “Arrival,” by Eric Heisserer
•  “Moonlight,” by Barry Jenkins
•  “Hidden Figures,” by Theodore Melfi and Allison Schroeder
•  “Fences,” by August Wilson

WILL WIN: “Arrival”

SHOULD WIN: “Hidden Figures.”

Original Screenplay

•  “Manchester by the Sea,” by Kenneth Lonergan,
•  “Hell or High Water,” by Taylor Sheridan
•  “La La Land,” by Damien Chazelle
•  "20th Century Women," Mike Mills
•  “The Lobster,” by Efthymis Filippou and Yorgos Lanthimos

WILL WIN: “La La Land.”

SHOULD WIN: “Manchester by the Sea.”

Total Nominations

• La La Land - 14(!)
• Moonlight and Arrival (8)
• Hacksaw Ridge, Lion and Manchester by the Sea (6)

Total Wins

• La La Land - (9)
• Arrival (3)
• Moonlight, Fences (2)
• Star Wars: Rogue One, , Hacksaw Ridge, Lion and Manchester by the Sea, Hidden Figures (1)

2017 OSCARS: Nominations Announced! #OscarNotSoWhite

The 2017 Oscar nominations just came out! La La Land leads with 14 nominations (tying the record set by Titanic and All About Eve) but little movies like Hidde Figures, Moonlight and Manchester by the Sea did very well. There are NUMEROUS nominees of color this year.

NPR called it "Oscars Slightly Less White":

Call it Oscars Slightly Less White: Unlike last year, when no people of color managed to secure acting or directing nominations, the Academy nominated Denzel Washington for lead actor in Fences, Mahershala Ali and Dev Patel for supporting actor in Moonlight and Lion, respectively, Loving's Ruth Negga in the lead actress category, and Viola Davis (Fences), Naomie Harris (Moonlight) and Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures) were nominated for best supporting actress. Moonlight's Barry Jenkins was also nominated for best director.

The big nominations are:

Picture 

• “Arrival” 
• “Fences” 
• “Hacksaw Ridge”
• “Hell or High Water”
• “Hidden Figures”
• “La La Land”
• “Lion”
• “Manchester by the Sea”
• “Moonlight”

Directing

• Denis Villeneuve, “Arrival”
• Mel Gibsion, "Hacksaw Ridge"
• Damien Chazelle, “La La Land”
• Barry Jenkins, “Moonlight”
• Kenneth Lonergan, “Manchester by the Sea”

Adapted Screenplay

•  “Lion,” by Luke Davis
•  “Arrival,” by Eric Heisserer
•  “Moonlight,” by Barry Jenkins
•  “Hidden Figures,” by Theodore Melfi and Allison Schroeder
•  “Fences,” by August Wilson

Original Screenplay

•  “Manchester by the Sea,” by Kenneth Lonergan,
•  “Hell or High Water,” by Taylor Sheridan
•  “La La Land,” by Damien Chazelle
•  "20th Century Women," Mike Mills
•  “The Lobster,” by Efthymis Filippou and Yorgos Lanthimos

Actress in a leading role:

• Emma Stone, “La La Land”
• Natalie Portman, “Jackie”
• Amy Adams, “Arrival” Ruth Negga, “Loving”
• Meryl Streep, “Florence Foster Jenkins”
• Isabelle Huppert, “Elle”

Actor in a Leading Role

• Casey Affleck, “Manchester by the Sea”
• Andrew Garfield, “Hacksaw Ridge”
• Ryan Gosling, “La La Land”
• Viggo Mortensen, “Captain Fantastic”
• Denzel Washington, “Fences”

More analysis later. 

CELEBRITY FRIDAY: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson Is People's Sexiest Man Alive

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has been named the 2016 People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive. Johnson, 44, is 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds and is the largest person to receive this recognition. According to The New York Times, he is currently Hollywood's highest paid male actor. Interestingly, other people who have been named the Sexiest Man Alive are Bradley Cooper, Tom Cruise, Matt Damon and Denzel Washington.

WATCH: TV Ad For Meryl Streep's The Iron Lady

Harvey Weinstein is pushing hard to help Meryl Streep to finally win her 3rd Oscar for her stunning performance in The Iron Lady. Watch the television ad which ostensibly is promoting the movie but is also pushing Streep towards her much deserved win. However, Viola Davis from The Help is the sentimental (*cough* white guilt *cough*) favorite and won the Screen Actors Guild award which is a good sign she has a big following among the actors, which is the largest branch of the Academy. If Davis were to win she would be only the second black woman in 84 years to win for Lead Actress (Halle Berry for Monster's Ball). In fact the number of Black people who have won Oscars in my lifetime can basically be counted on one hand  two hands (Denzel Washington (twice!), Jennifer Hudson, Halle Berry, Whoopi Goldberg, Jamie Foxx, Forrest Whitaker, Morgan Freeman and Monique).

What do YOU think is going to happen at the Oscars on Sunday February 26th?

SCOTUS Rules 8-1 To Support R-71 Names Disclosure

The Supreme Court has ruled 8-1 in the case of Doe v. Reed that heterosexual supremacist petition signers in Washington who placed Referendum 71 (which would have repealed a comprehensive domestic partnership statute) on the ballot have no implicit First Amendment expectation of privacy, affirming last year's excellent 9th Circuit appellate decision.

Washington Families Standing Together, the organization that managed the campaign to defend the domestic partnership law by approving Referendum 71 issued a statement:

The Court has made clear today that public disclosure requirements are an important means of making sure measures are not put on the ballot by fraudulent means or mistake.

“Public disclosure thus helps ensure that the only signatures counted are those that should be, and that the only referenda placed on the ballot are those that garner enough valid signatures. Public disclosure also promotes transparency and accountability in the electoral process to an extent other measures cannot. In light of the foregoing, we reject plaintiffs’ argument and conclude that public disclosure of referendum petitions in general is substantially related to the important interest of preserving the integrity of the electoral process.”

This 8- 1 ruling by the highest court in the land is a significant defeat for those who have sought to enshrine discrimination into law at the ballot box. Nowhere is the integrity and transparency of elections more important than where the ballot box is being used in an attempt to take away fundamental rights. Nowhere is it more important for the public to know that attempts to affect the lives of their fellow citizens by promoting ballot measures are free from fraud and error. Perhaps no other group has witnessed its rights put up for public vote more than LGBT Americans. Social conservatives have used ballot measures in state after state, over more than 30 years, to keep LGBT Americans from being able to adopt children, to marry and even to be protected from discrimination in housing and employment.

This is the third loss for these groups in our state over the past year as they tried to repeal legislation ensuring that all families are treated equally under Washington State law. First the State PDC said no when these same groups tried to hide their donors. Then voters approved Referendum 71, retaining the law, by more than 53%. Now the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled against the proponents’ attempt to undermine disclosure laws.

With regard to the assertion by the anti-gay groups that they would be harmed if petition signatures were subject to public disclosure, as Justice Stevens said in his concurring opinion,

“Any burden on speech that petitioners posit is speculative as well as indirect. For an as-applied challenge to a law such as the PRA to succeed, there would have to be a significant threat of harassment directed at those who sign the petition that cannot be mitigated by law enforcement measures.”

The Supreme Court has in the past allowed narrow exemptions to public disclosure where there’s a clear minority party that has suffered both official and societal retaliation by the majority and where there is strong evidence that such disclosure presents a serious threat. With regard to Referendum 71, however, the groups making this claim were not the minority, but to the contrary, were the ones trying to diminish the rights of the minority. They will be hard pressed to convince a judge the record here is otherwise.

In an amicus brief provided to the Supreme Court in Doe v. Reed, a group of political scientists reported that not only was the assertion of alleged harassment unsubstantiated in Washington State, but the plaintiffs did not present a single verified threat to any signer of a ballot measure petition in any state in any election. As their brief said, “More than a million names of signers of petitions for referenda and initiatives opposing gay marriage have been posted on the Internet, yet there is no evidence that any of these signers has faced any threat of retaliation or harassment by reason of that disclosure.”

WAFST applauds today’s decision and thanks all those who filed briefs and supported our collective efforts as we fought over the last year to protect the rights of all Washingtonians.

Congratulations to Washington State, this is a big loss for the heterosexual supremacist haters like National Organization for Marriage.

WA Domestic Partnership Bill Passes Legislature

A comprehensive domestic partnership bill passed the Washington state legislature's lower house Wednesday by a vote of 62-35.

Previously, the bill had passed the upper house by a vote of 30-18.

Democratic Governor Christine Gregoire has announced that she will happily sign the measure into law.

Two year ago, Governor Gregoire signed another domestic partner bill into law which conveyed limited benefits to the 5,712 couples that have registered in the interim. The new comprehensive bill provides all rights and responsibilities that state law affords to married couples to registered domestic partners.

Washington will join California, Oregon, Connecticut, Vermont, New Jersey, New Hampshire and the District of Columbia with significant recognition of same-sex couples. Subsequently, Connecticut and Vermont have enacted marriage equality for same-sex couples.

Maine, Colorado, Hawaii and Maryland have limited domestic partnership laws in effect also.

Top 10 Movies of 2007

Last year's list of the Top 10 (MadProfessah-reviewed) movies of 2006 was not issued until March 6, 2007, a week after the Oscars were announced and the Top 10 (MadProfessah-reviewed) movies of 2005 was not published until January 18th, 2006.

However, I want to make sure the list to be a list of the best movies that I actually saw in 2007, since my previous Top 10 list was published here.

10. 3:10 to Yuma. The best western since Unforgiven stars Russell Crowe and Christian Bale in a remake of a classic which matches the original for intensity and suspense--with the added benefit of a scenery-chewing performance by Ben Foster as the fey psycho violent sidekick.

9. Boy Culture. What? A well-written gay movie? Yes, Virginia, they do exist! This romantic comedy had very handsome actors interacting in a surprisingly real and really surprising way.

8. 300. A homoerotic smorgasbord of computer generated ultraviolence masquerading as a historic epic. "1800 abs" was a unique visual experience, very stimulating and although story-deficient, oddly compelling.

7. Ratatouille. The latest film from Brad Bird, the creator of my 2004 favorite film, The Incredibles is the creative force behind this tour de force animated masterpiece from the magicians at Pixar about a rat in a Paris restaurant who loves to cook.

6. 28 Weeks Later / Sunshine. From the mind of Danny Boyle (28 Days Later) and each featuring Rose Byrne comes these two very different, science-fiction based action films. 28 Weeks Later is actually more effective than the original. Sunshine is an absolutely gorgeous spaceship-based thriller influenced by seminal films like Alien and 2001.

5. The Simpsons Movie. Like a really good, 90-minute episode of The Simpsons--what's not to like?

4. The Namesake. I may be influenced by my trip to India last year, but I was greatly moved by this film adaptation of one of my favorite books by Jhumpa Lahiri. The story is about the intergeneration conflict between immigrant parents and their American born children. In addition, the acting by Kal Penn and Irfan Khan is extraordinary, and Mira Nair's directing is at her most proficient to date.

3. Sicko/¡Salud!. The health care crisis in the United States is only growing worse day after day and these two documentaries pointed out the ridiculous state of affairs while also highlighting that there are other solutions many other countries around the world have identified and implemented.

2. The Bourne Ultimatum. A technically flawless summer action movie helmed by director Peter Greengrass and carried by Matt Damon which starts with the accelerator to the floor and doesn't let up until the final frame.

1. Juno. The most enjoyable time I spent at the movies all year was watching this heartfelt, pitch-perfect comedy that has an impact which is felt long after the movie is over. Diablo Cody's script along with an incredible ensemble cast headed by the hitherto unheralded Ellen Page in the title role are destined to receive Oscar recognition.

Honorable Mentions: The Host, American Gangster, Hairspray and I Am Legend.

It should also be noted that I have yet to see end-of-year contenders like Sweeney Todd, Atonement, No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood, The Great Debaters or Persepolis. When I see them, I will review them, but they will count towards my 2008 Top 10.

REVIEW: American Gangster

Saw Ridley Scott's American Gangster starring Oscar winners Denzel Washington (Glory, Training Day) and Russell Crowe (Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind) from a script by Steve Zaillian (Schindler's List) at my favorite second-run theaters in Pasadena (Regency Academy Theaters) this weekend.

Although it is billed as two-star vehicle, it is clearly Denzel's show and he runs away with the film, although I was impressed with Crowe's understatedly effective work. It is unlikely it will bring him his 4th Oscar nomination, although it is likely it will bring Denzel his 6th.

What the most impressive feature of the film to me was Ridley Scott's direction. I was shocked to discover that the creative force behind Alien (1979), Blade Runner (1982), Legend (1985), Thelma & Louise (1991) and Gladiator (2000) has been nominated 3 times (Thelma & Louise, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down) but never won an Oscar or Director's Guild of America Award.

The film is set in the late 1960s and early 1970s in New York City and New Jersey and reproduces this era with amazing precision and verisimilitude. Additionally, the story is pretty complex, recounting the details of how Frank Lucas became the most "dangerous drug dealer in New York City, even bigger than the mafia" in the words of Richie Roberts, the detective who locked him up. However, through clever pacing and non-showy direction, Scott weaves the tale with an ever increasing level of suspense despite the fact the ending is known walking into the theater.

The only caveat to my enthusiasm for the film is its shockingly retrograde depiction of women.
First of all, it is a testosterone-fueled film, with all the central characters depicted by men, from Lucas (Denzel) and Roberts (Russell) as the two main protagonists followed by Denzel's lieutentants played by his brothers and every single cop being male. The female characters are Denzel's wife, Denzel's mother, Russell's estranged wife and Denzel's drug production lieutenant. None of these characters is afforded agency and most of them are depicted one dimensionally. There are several incidental depictions of females as (mainly nude) objects of entertainment for men or as drug-addicted irresponsible caregivers.

Despite this drawback, overall American Gangster is a well-made, suspenseful period crime drama featuring two notable performances from two Oscar-level actors working at the top of their game.

GRADE: B+/A-