Sometimes history is made by groups of people in labs or courtrooms or legislative bodies or battlefields. Sometimes history is made by two people talking to each other quietly. We hear those stories less often. It may be that what makes those changes possible is keeping them secret. Perhaps that is what makes imagining them so irresistible. That is what screenwriter Anthony McCarten has done in fact-based films like Bohemian Rhapsody, The Darkest Hour, and his latest, The Two Popes.
For the first time in nearly 700 years, a pope (Sir Anthony Hopkins as the more conservative Pope Benedict) resigned instead of serving until death. That made it possible for him to play an unprecedented role in encouraging and supporting the choice of his successor, Pope Francis (Jonathan Pryce as the first pope from the Americas).
Copyright Netflix 2019
In an interview, McCarten talked about what “great directing” by Fernando Meirelles added to the film, and why this is his “most adventurous” film…..Minow: In some of your other films based on real-life characters you had tremendous amounts of information about what went on even in their private moments. You had correspondence and diaries as well as a lot of documentation of their public moments. But here you really had to imagine conversations that no one knows anything about.
McCarten: You’re quite right. This is probably the most adventurous of the films I’ve done. There’s some artistic license but, I hope no less responsible than anything that I’ve done and ultimately, hopefully, no less truthful. These conversations that I imagined are based on deep research. In fact I did so much research that there’s an accompanying nonfiction book that you can buy in all good bookstores which shows how I really went into their pasts and looked at all the circumstances surrounding the resignation of Pope Benedict. It’s essential in all these ventures that you get it right as much as possible and in this particular case it is literally sacred ground. So, it cannot be careless and it cannot be flippant in any way. It has to be embedded in known truths. In fact, even when I create these long dialogues between these two, those dialogues are reflections of their stated positions about the future of this 2000 year old institution.
Copyright Warner Brothers 2019At awards season, we often get uplifting real-life stories and this year we have three that are about heroic lawyers fighting for justice against almost insurmountable odds. Here they are, with a little background on the real stories.
Billot was profiled by the New York Times, which dubbed him DuPont’s Biggest Nightmare. “Rob Bilott was a corporate defense attorney for eight years. Then he took on an environmental suit that would upend his entire career — and expose a brazen, decades-long history of chemical pollution.”
Michael B. Jordan as Bryan Stevenson in “Just Mercy”
Stevenson is a Harvard Law graduate who has spent his career in the town where the man who inspired the most beloved lawyer in movie history, Atticus Finch, practiced law. And like Finch, he defends those who have been unfairly accused and not had adequate access to counsel. He is also the Founder of the stunning Legacy Museum and National Memorial to Peace and Justice, sometimes called the Lynching Museum because of its extraordinary challenge to communities to acknowledge their past.
Clint Eastwood’s “Richard Jewell” is based on the true story of the man who was initially hailed as a hero for discovering a bomb at a concert celebrating the Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, and then accused of planting it to make himself famous. Watson Bryant was the lawyer who represented him, proving that the FBI and the local and national media were irresponsible to the point of negligence and abuse.
The movie was inspired by a Vanity Fair article called “American Nightmare” by Marie Brenner. Here is what she said about the lawyer who happened on to Jewell because they had briefly worked together:
The simple fact was that Bryant had no qualifications for the job. He had no legal staff except for his assistant, Nadya Light, no contacts in the press, and no history in Washington. He was the opposite of media-savvy; he rarely read the papers and never watched the nightly news, preferring the Discovery Channel’s shows on dog psychology. Now that Richard Jewell was his client, he had entered a zone of worldwide media hysteria fraught with potential peril. Jewell suspected that his pickup truck had been flown in a C-130 transport plane to the F.B.I. unit at Quantico in Virginia, and Bryant worried that his friend would be arrested any minute. Worse, Bryant knew that he had nothing going for him, no levers anywhere. His only asset was his personality; he had the bravado and profane hyperbole of a southern rich boy, but he was in way over his head.
Rated R for sexual material and language throughout
Profanity:
Very strong and crude language
Alcohol/ Drugs:
None
Violence/ Scariness:
Sexual pressure and harassment
Diversity Issues:
A theme of the movie
Date Released to Theaters:
December 13, 2019
Date Released to DVD:
March 9, 2020
Copyright 2019 LionsgateThe word “bombshell” works both ways as the title of this film based on the true story of the #metoo moment that rocked the powerful leadership of Fox News and brought down its visionary founder Roger Ailes. “Bombshell” means a very attractive woman (check out the Jean Harlow movie of the same name, about a gorgeous movie star, and the documentary of the same name, about Hedy Lamar). And “bombshell” also means a shocking piece of news. Both are equally apt.
Those who watched “The Loudest Voice in the Room” on Showtime know that Ailes transformed the news media by creating a network that had two important innovations: gorgeous women in revealing clothes delivering news stories slanted toward white people who think their victimhood has been overlooked. As an executive puts it in this film, “You have to adopt the mentality of an Irish street cop. The world is a bad place. People are lazy morons. Minorities are criminals. Sex is sick, but interesting. Ask yourself, ‘What would scare my grandmother, or p— off my grandfather?’ And that’s a Fox story.”
The story is almost operatic in scope and drama and director Jay Roach and screenwriter Charles Randolph (“The Big Short”) hit the tone just right, the heightened urgency of the newsroom, the millions of small and devastatingly large compromises at the top of the media food chain.
The performances are sizzling. Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) is a fading star at FOX, relegated to off-peak programs. (I could not help thinking of this performance as a bookend with Kidman’s “To Die For,” with Kidman as a woman who was willing to do anything, including sexual favors and murder, to get a job on TV news.) Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron) is a rising star, and as this movie begins, she is horrified to find herself in the middle of a story as then-candidate Donald Trump makes ugly and crude accusations because she surprised him by asking him to comment on some of his insults to women (“You’ve called women you don’t like fat pigs, dogs, slobs and disgusting animals”) in an on-air interview. Margot Robbie plays Kayla, a fictional character based on the ambitious lower-level staff and what those who asked Ailes for on-camera opportunities were expected to do to show their “loyalty.”
Some early critics of the film object to the women being portrayed as feminist heroines. But they are not portrayed as feminist heroines; on the contrary. They’re not fighting courageously for justice like Norma Rae or Erin Brockovich. They are carefully calibrating how much abuse, how many humiliations, how much indignity they are willing to trade for the professional opportunities they want, even when it means ignoring abuse of other women. Answer: a lot. Ultimately, there is a limit, though, and watching each character locate that line is what makes this movie smart and engrossing. For Carlson, it is being fired. For Kayla, it is a painful realization after the fact, and after someone else has taken the almost unthinkably daunting step of going first. And the stakes are clear. “Once you go public, no one will hire you,” Carlson is told. Her post-lawsuit career has focused on sexual harassment issues either because she now recognizes the importance of the issue or because she cannot get any other job. The week of the film’s release she wrote an op-ed in The New York Times calling on Fox to withdraw the non-disclosure agreement she had to sign in order to settle her case. It’s unlikely, but if they do, maybe we’ll get another movie out of it.
The focus here is on Kelly. It is one thing to burn your bridges after you have been fired and have nothing to lose, but it is entirely another for a woman near the top of her profession who says, “I’m not a feminist; I’m a lawyer,” who does not want to be the story, who is in cutthroat competition with the other beautiful blondes and not one to raise a fist and proclaim that sisterhood is powerful. What will it take to get her to speak out and what price will she pay for saying something? Kelly is a complicated character and the way her dilemma is presented here is complicated and nuanced, more directed toward nods of recognition than standing ovations. Her career has been rocky (except for financially) since her decision to acknowledge the abuse, which makes this a cautionary tale that does not make the prospect of feminist heroine-ing look very appealing.
What is even more fascinating here is the setting. Is Fox a news organization as it has traditionally been understood? We get glimpses of other Fox personalities, including Bill O’Reilly, who left Fox following his own #metoo abuses. The way the organization responds to Carlson’s claims — handing out “Team Roger” t-shirts before any investigation even though it is generally known why there’s a lock on his door and a separate entrance to his office — says something about whether “loyalty” is more important than the truth, to them and to us.
Parents should know that this film is based on the real life #metoo upheavals at FOX News, with explicit discussions and some depiction of sexual harassment, abuse, and predation, and very strong language.
Family discussion: Why did the three women respond differently? How has coming forward affected their careers? What is the best way to prevent abuse by people in power?
If you like this, try: “The Loudest Voice” miniseries and “The Hunting Ground”
Queen & Slim Leads 2019 Black Reel Awards Nominees
Posted on December 11, 2019 at 5:25 pm
Copyright 2019 Universal PicturesThe gripping story of a couple on the run from the law following a traffic stop gone wrong, Queen and Slim, received 14 nominations and in the process became the third film in Black Reel Awards history to be so honored.
Director Melina Matsoukas’ piercing examination of race and justice tied both Tyler Perry’s For Colored Girls and Barry Jenkins’ If Beale Street Could Talk, scoring multiple nominations. They included Outstanding Motion Picture, Outstanding Actor (Daniel Kaluuya), Outstanding Actress and Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female (Jodie Turner-Smith), Outstanding Screenplay (Original or Adapted) and Outstanding First Screenplay for Lena Waithe, as well as Outstanding Director and Outstanding Emerging Director for Matsoukas.
In addition, the film received multiple nominations in the Outstanding Song category, for Collide (Tiana Major9 & EARTH GANGO) and Guarding the Gates (Lauryn Hill), Outstanding Score and nods in every technical category, Outstanding Cinematography, Outstanding Costume Design and Outstanding Production Design.
Director Jordan Peele’s follow-up to his Black Reel Award winning film, Get Out, Us thrilled voters as well on the way to 12 nominations. Led by its visionary director, who garnered a record-tying four nominations including Outstanding Director, Outstanding Screenplay, Original or Adapted, and Outstanding Motion Picture. Peele also was recognized for Outstanding Voice Performer for Toy Story 4. Us also secured an Outstanding Motion Picture nomination as well as Outstanding Actress for Black Reel Award winner Lupita Nyong’o, Outstanding Supporting Actress and Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female for newcomer Shahadi Wright Joseph, Outstanding Ensemble, Outstanding Score, Outstanding Cinematography, Outstanding Costume Design, and Outstanding Production Design.
The story of underground cult comedian Rudy Ray Moore, Dolemite Is My Name also scored double-digit nominations with 11. Led by Outstanding Actor nominee Eddie Murphy, the film received multiple nominations for its talented cast including Outstanding Supporting Actress and Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female for newcomer Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Outstanding Supporting Actor for Black Reel Award winner Wesley Snipes, Outstanding Breakthrough Actor, Male for Titus Burgess. The film also garnered noms for Outstanding Ensemble, Outstanding Score, as well as Outstanding Costume Design for last year’s winner, Ruth E. Carter.
“I’m extremely thrilled with the choices that our Voting Academy made this year,” said Black Reel Awards founder and President, Tim Gordon. ”As we celebrate our 20th Anniversary, it is both humbling to reminisce about the journey, yet refreshing to see and experience so much new talent that graced the screen for the first time.”
Other highlights include Waves receiving nine nominations followed by the indie darling, The Last Black Man in San Francisco that scored eight nominations. Seven nominations went to the prison drama, Clemency, while both Harriet and Luce each took home six nods. In addition, three directors each received four nominations, Chinoye Chukwu, Julius Onah, and Peele.
The 20th Annual Black Reel Awards ceremony will take place on Thursday, February 6, 2020, live streamed on BlogTalkRadio.
20TH ANNUAL BLACK REEL AWARDS NOMINEES
(Digital Nomination Copy)
Outstanding Motion Picture
DOLEMITE IS MY NAME (Netflix)
Eddie Murphy, John Fox & John Davis
JUST MERCY (Warner Bros.)
Asher Goldstein & Gil Netter
QUEEN & SLIM (Universal Pictures)
Pamela Addy, Andrew Coles, James Frey, Michelle Knudsen, Melina Matsoukas, Lena Waithe & Brad Weston
US (Universal Pictures)
Jordan Peele, Jason Blum, Ian Cooper & Sean McKittrick
WAVES (A24)
Trey Edward Schultz, Kevin Turen & James Wilson
Copyright A24 2019
Outstanding Actor
JIMMIE FAILS
The Last Black Man in San Francisco (A24)
KELVIN HARRISON JR.
Luce (Neon)
KELVIN HARRISON JR.
Waves (A24)
DANIEL KALUUYA
Queen & Slim (Universal Pictures)
EDDIE MURPHY
Dolemite is My Name (Netflix)
Outstanding Actress
Cynthia Erivo stars as Harriet Tubman in HARRIET, a Focus Features release. Credit: Glen Wilson / Focus Features
“DON’T TURN BACK” (THE APOLLO)
Robert Glasper & Ledisi, performers
“GUARDING THE GATES” (QUEEN & SLIM)
Lauryn Hill, performer
“IT’S NOT OVER” (BRIAN BANKS)
Gizzle & Sam Fisher, performers
“SPIRIT” (THE LION KING)
Beyonce Knowles-Carter, performer
Outstanding Independent Feature – Awarded to the Director & Producers
BURNING CANE (ARRAY)
Phillip Youmans, director
Ojo Akinlana, Wendell Pierce, Mose Mayer, Isaac Webb, Cassandra Youmans Jakob Johnson & Karen Kaia Livers, producers
CLEMENCY (Neon)
Chinonye Chukwu, director
Timur Bekbosunov, Julian Cautherley, Bronwyn Cornelius & Peter Wong, producers
GUAVA ISLAND (Amazon Studios)
Hiro Murai, director
Donald Glover, Carmen Cuba, Jennifer Roth & Fam Udeorji, producers
THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO (A24)
Joe Talbot, director/producer
Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Christina Oh & Khaliah Neal, producers
LUCE (Neon)
Julius Onah, director/producer
John Baker & Andrew Yang, producers
Outstanding Short Film
AMERICA
Garrett Bradley, director
HAIR LOVE (Sony Pictures Releasing)
Matthew A. Cherry, director
IT’S NOT ABOUT JIMMY KEENE
Caleb Jaffe, director
SUICIDE BY SUNLIGHT
Nikyatu Jusu, director
ZAHRA AND THE OIL MAN
Yucef Mayes, director
Outstanding Independent Documentary
16 BARS
Sam Bathrick, director
NO LYE: AN AMERICAN BEAUTY STORY
Bayer Mack, director
THE REMIX: HIP HOP X FASHION
Lisa Cortes & Farah Khalid, director
Outstanding Emerging Director
CHINONYE CHUKWU
Clemency (Neon)
NIA DACOSTA
Little Woods (Neon)
MATI DIOP
Atlantics (Netflix)
MELINA MATSOUKAS
Queen & Slim (Universal)
JULIUS ONAH
Luce (Neon)
Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Male
TITUSS BURGESS
Dolemite Is My Name (Netflix)
JIMMIE FAILS
The Last Black Man in San Francisco (A24)
KELVIN HARRISON JR.
Waves (A24)
ALDIS HODGE
Clemency (Neon)
JONATHAN MAJORS
The Last Black Man in San Francisco (A24)
Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female
MAME BINETA SANE
Atlantics (Netflix)
SHAHADI WRIGHT JOSEPH
Us (Universal Pictures)
DA’VINE JOY RANDOLPH
Dolemite is My Name (Netflix)
TAYLOR RUSSELL
Waves (A24)
JODIE TURNER-SMITH
Queen & Slim (Universal)
Outstanding First Screenplay
ATLANTICS (Netflix)
Mati Diop & Olivier Demangel
THE BOY WHO HARNESSED THE WIND (Netflix)
Chiwetel Ejiofor
BURNING CANE (ARRAY)
Phillip Youmans
CLEMENCY (Neon)
Chinoye Chukwu
QUEEN & SLIM (Universal Pictures)
Lena Waithe
Outstanding Cinematography
HARRIET (Focus Features)
John Toll
THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO (A24)
Adam Newport-Berra
QUEEN & SLIM (Universal Pictures)
Tad Radcliffe
US (Universal Pictures)
Mike Gioulakis
WAVES (A24)
Drew Daniels
Outstanding Costume Design
DOLEMITE IS MY NAME (Netflix)
Ruth E. Carter
HARRIET (Focus Features)
Paul Tazewell
HUSTLERS (STX Entertainment)
Mitchell Travers
QUEEN & SLIM (Universal Pictures)
Shiona Turini
US (Universal Pictures)
Kym Barrett
Outstanding Production Design
DOLEMITE IS MY NAME (Netflix)
Clay A. Griffith
HARRIET (Focus Features)
Warren Alan Young
THE LION KING (Disney)
James Chinlund
QUEEN & SLIM (Universal Pictures)
Karen Murphy
US (Universal Pictures)
Ruth De Jong
Nominations Per Film
14 nominations
Queen & Slim
11 nominations
Us
10 nominations
Dolemite is My Name
9 nominations
Waves
8 nominations
The Last Black Man in San Francisco
7 nominations
Clemency
6 nominations
Harriet
Luce
5 nominations
Atlantics
The Lion King
3 nominations
Just Mercy
2 nominations
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
Burning Cane
Les Miserables
Toy Story 4
1 nomination
16 Bars
America
The Black Godfather
Brian Banks
Guava Island
Farming
Fast Color
Hair Love
Hustlers
In Fabric
It’s Not About Jimmy Keene
Knock Down the House
Little Woods
Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool
No Lye: An American Beauty Story
The Remix: Hip Hop X Fashion
Suicide by the Sunlight
Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am
Zahra and the Oil Man
