This Had Oscar Buzz

372 – The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (w/ Natalie Walker!)

Happy Holidays, Garys! This week, we have some unfinished business with Keira Knightley and who better than our pal, actress Natalie Walker to join us for the holiday season. In 2018, Oscar pedigreed Lasse Hallström and family friendly Joe Johnston adapted the classic Nutcracker story for the screen in a grab bag of Disney certified IP flare. Okay, sure, this isn’t the most THOB-y of titles, but it does give us an excuse to talk about Keira Knightley’s deranged (complimentary) performance and unpack just what the hell each of the titular four realms are. This episode, we finally get to that Keira Knightley Six (Seven… ugh!) Timers Quiz! We also talk about reshoots that led to Lasse Hallström and Joe Johnston sharing directorial duties, the glorious dance sequences led by Misty Copeland, and Christmas movie Oscar nominees. Topics also include Polish Oscar winning shorts, seeing the Nutcracker ballet as children, and Morgan Freeman with an eyepatch.

371 – The Founder

This week, we got one of the most requested episodes finally on the feed. In 2016, Michael Keaton had already had two comeback seasons on the Oscar trail with both Birdman and Spotlight. Neither earned him Oscar gold but our sights were on The Founder, a retelling of the story of McDonalds and the man the made it into American ubiquity. But released in the end days of the Weinstein Company, the film lingered in a purgatory of a qualifying release and never found a spot in a season dominated by Moonlight and La La Land. This episode, we talk about the return of Keaton after a time away from major movies and his streak in the 1990s. We also talk about Laura Dern in an underserved wife role, another film by John Lee Hancock that better balances its biographical subject, and Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch playing brothers. Topics also include the AARP Movies for Grownups Awards, qualifying release strategies, and Hot Ice Cream.

370 – Looper

With a new Benoit Blanc out for you to devour, we decided it was a great time to talk about the great Rian Johnson. In 2012, Johnson delivered his genre hybrid Looper, set in a dystopic future where, through the magic of time travel, a hitman (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) faces off against his older self (Bruce Willis) to stop a mysterious force who’s hunting them. With mind-bending leaps and a stellar supporting turn from Emily Blunt, Looper cemented Johnson’s reputation and led to his hiring for The Last Jedi. This week, we talk about Johnson’s confident grasp of twisty material and the layered world he creates with Looper. We also talk about Gordon-Levitt’s Willis-riffing turn, Willis’ late career in the years after this film, and Kazu Hiro’s makeup to make JGL look like BW. Topics also include 2012 TIFF Galas, the 2012 Original Screenplay race, and the blunderbuss.

369 – i’m thinking of ending things

This week, we are talking about Charlie Kaufman in the director’s chair and how our thoughts have settled on what’s probably his most divisive film. In 2020, Kaufman returned to directing by adapting Iain Reid’s psychologically intense i’m thinking of ending things, told from the perspective of an unnamed woman visiting her new boyfriend’s rural home. With Jessie Buckley and Jesse Plemons at the forefront, the film folds in on itself for daring look at male dissociation. This episode, we talk about our shifting thoughts on the film and the pricklier reception to Kaufman’s directorial efforts vs. his screenwriting credits. We also talk about Buckley’s swift rise after Wild Rose, Plemons’ television credits, and the film’s use of Pauline Kael. Topics also include hot Oklahoma!, media consumption, and Toni Collette gets her Six Timers.

368 – The Devil All the Time (with Katey Rich!)

The Devil All The Time: Tom Holland as Arvin Russell. Photo Cr. Glen Wilson/Netflix © 2020 Our annual Thanksgiving tradition means The Ankler’s Katey Rich is back! And this year, we’re got a stone cold bummer to go with the turkey! In 2020, while we were all stuck in our homes, Netflix delivered a lockdown crime saga hit with The Devil All the Time. Directed by Antonio Campos, the film follows several generations in rural America as their family history is engulfed in religion and murder between American wars. With a cast of famous young stars like Tom Holland and Robert Pattison, the film garnered strong reactions to its grim tale but no ultimate awards payoff. This episode, we’re talking about Antonio Campos’ independent cinema rise and later television work. We also talk about Netflix in 2020, Holland balancing Spider-Man with other projects, and umm… what the hell is going on with Pattinson in this movie. Topics also include accents, covid coping, and Thanksgiving gender binaries.