#OSCARS: “CODA” WINS BEST PICTURE AT THE 2022 OSCARS

The 94th annual Academy Awards returned once again to Dolby Theatre as Cinema’s most prestigious night had altered course during the Pandemic. Taking top honours was Sian Heder‘s CODA, taking Best Picture. The Film is the first-ever Film with a predominantly Deaf Cast to win Best Picture. It premiered at Sundance in 2021, before selling to Apple for a record $25 million, proving a smart investment. The Film written and directed Heder, is based on the 2014 French coming-of-age film La Famille Bélier, centering on a young woman who is the child of deaf parents.

In addition to winning Best Picture, CODA also won Heder Best Adapted Screenplay and Troy Kotsur would take Supporting Actor.

Other major winners included Will Smith for his work in KING RICHARD, landing him Best Actor, proving third time’s the charm after having been nominated thrice for an Oscar.

Jessica Chastain gained much momentum in recent weeks, taking Best Actress for her portrayal of Tammy Faye Bakker in THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE. This also was her third time being nominated for an Oscar, proving once again that third time’s the charm!

Best Director went to Jane Campion for THE POWER OF THE DOG, which was seen as the favourite to win Best Picture. She has the distinction of being the third woman ever to win the category.

Hosted by a Trio of Wanda Sykes, Amy Schumer and Regina Hall, the night was not without drama. Funnyman Chris Rock when presenting Best Documentary, poked fun at Jada Pinkett Smith‘s baldness which landed him a slap on-stage from eventual Will Smith, in defense of his wife.

#Oscars | Will Smith Slaps Chris Rock In The Face On Oscars Stage After Jab At Wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s Appearance https://t.co/6TZkI48QNh pic.twitter.com/ibpffmh2Mc

— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) March 28, 2022

Things got lighter as this year’s In Memoriam took an uplifting turn with a gospel choir paying tribute to among others Ivan Reitman, Sidney Poitier and Betty White.

Some of the evening’s standout looks at the Oscars:

Holy mother of God. Lupita Nyong’o in Prada. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/G2VU4JgVOB

— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) March 27, 2022

Jessica Chastain in Gucci channeling Hollywood Magic Hour. Stunning. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/sjunjKXCwX

— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) March 27, 2022

Wilmer Valderrama looks s👀 good in Dolce & Gabanna. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/NswTRuM5LC

— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) March 27, 2022

The look of a winner. Ariana DeBose confident in Valentino pantsuit. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/5naNw1E39q

— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) March 27, 2022

One went shirtless. One wore a shirt. Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet at the #Oscars for DUNE. pic.twitter.com/6yld0ZWhpn

— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) March 27, 2022

A friggin’ Rockstar. Live for Kristen Stewart. Don’t care what the Academy thinks. She has won the night. Chanel has done amazing work tailoring her looks all Awards Season. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/JRNYXxEkgk

— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) March 27, 2022

Zoe Kravitz in Saint Laurent. Beautiful, simple. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/PgTuXnrEaQ

— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) March 27, 2022

Complete list of winners below:

Best Picture

“Belfast”
“CODA” (Winner)
“Don’t Look Up”
“Drive My Car”
“Dune”
“King Richard”
“Licorice Pizza”
“Nightmare Alley”
“The Power of the Dog”
“West Side Story”

Best Actress

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

Best Actor

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

Best Director

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

Best Original Song

“Be Alive” from “King Richard”
“Dos Oruguitas” from “Encanto”
“Down to Joy” from “Belfast”
“No Time to Die” from “No Time to Die” (Winner)
“Somehow You Do” from “Four Good Days”

Best Documentary Feature

“Ascension”
“Attica”
“Flee”
“Summer of Soul” (Winner)
“Writing with Fire”

Best Adapted Screenplay

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

Best Original Screenplay

“Belfast,” Kenneth Branagh (Winner)
“Don’t Look Up,” Adam McKay, Story by McKay and David Sirota
“King Richard,” Zack Baylin
“Licorice Pizza,” Paul Thomas Anderson
“The Worst Person in the World,” Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier

Best Costume Design

“Cruella” (Winner)
“Cyrano”
“Dune”
“Nightmare Alley”
“West Side Story”

Best International Feature Film

“Drive My Car” (Winner)
“Flee”
“The Hand of God”
“Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom”
“The Worst Person in the World”

Best Supporting Actor

Ciarán Hinds, “Belfast”
Troy Kotsur, “CODA” (Winner)
Jesse Plemons, “The Power of the Dog”
JK Simmons, “Being the Ricardos”
Kodi Smit-McPhee, “The Power of the Dog”

Best Animated Feature

“Encanto” (Winner)
“Flee”
“Luca”
“The Mitchells vs. the Machines”
“Raya and the Last Dragon”

Best Visual Effects

“Dune” (Winner)
“Free Guy”
“No Time to Die”
“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”
“Spider-Man: No Way Home”

Best Cinematography

“Dune” (Winner)
“Nightmare Alley”
“The Power of the Dog”
“The Tragedy of Macbeth”
“West Side Story”

Best Supporting Actress

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

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

“Coming 2 America”
“Cruella”
“Dune”
“The Eyes of Tammy Faye” (Winner)
“House of Gucci”

Best Production Design

“Dune” (Winner)
“Nightmare Alley”
“The Power of the Dog”
“The Tragedy of Macbeth”
“West Side Story”

Best Editing

“Don’t Look Up”
“Dune” (Winner)
“King Richard”
“The Power of the Dog”
“Tick, Tick, Boom”

Best Original Score

“Don’t Look Up”
“Dune” (Winner)
“Encanto”
“Parallel Mothers”
“The Power of the Dog”

Best Live Action Short

“Ala Kachuu – Take and Run”
“The Dress”
“The Long Goodbye” (Winner)
“On My Mind”
“Please Hold”

Best Animated Short

“Affairs of the Art”
“Bestia”
“Boxballet”
“Robin Robin”
“The Windshield Wiper” (Winner)

Best Documentary Short Subject

“Audible”
“Lead Me Home”
“The Queen of Basketball” (Winner)
“Three Songs for Benazir”
“When We Were Bullies”

Best Sound

“Belfast”
“Dune” (Winner)
“No Time to Die”
“The Power of the Dog”
“West Side Story”

(Photo credit: Getty Images)

#OSCARS: “THE POWER OF THE DOG” LEADS 2022 OSCAR NOMINEES

Nominations were announced earlier today for the 94th Academy Awards, to be held Sunday, March 27, 2022 at Dolby Theatre in Hollywood at 8 PM ET. Tracee Ellis Ross and Leslie Jordan made announcements this year. Leading the pack this year with a total 12 nominations is Jane Campion‘s THE POWER OF THE DOG, followed closely by Denis Villeneuve’s DUNE which garnered 10.

This year’s biggest snubs include Lady Gaga for House of Gucci, and while Denis Villeneuve‘s DUNE received much recognition technically, he isn’t up for Best Director. Though it achieved record-breaking Box Office success and acclaim, SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME only garnered one nomination for Special Effects.

Nominees are as follows.

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”

BEST DIRECTOR

Kenneth Branagh (“Belfast”)

Ryûsuke Hamaguchi (“Drive My Car”)

Paul Thomas Anderson (“Licorice Pizza”)

Jane Campion (“The Power of the Dog”)

Steven Spielberg (“West Side Story”)

BEST 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”)

BEST 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”)

BEST 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”)

BEST 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”)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

“CODA,” Siân Heder

“Drive My Car,” Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, Takamasa Oe

“Dune,” Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve, Eric Roth

“The Lost Daughter,” Maggie Gyllenhaal

“The Power of the Dog,” Jane Campion

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

“Belfast,” Kenneth Branagh

“Don’t Look Up,” Adam McKay, David Sirota

“King Richard,” Zach Baylin

“Licorice Pizza,” Paul Thomas Anderson

“The Worst Person in the World,” Eskil Vogt, Joachim Troer

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

“Dune,” Greig Fraser

“Nightmare Alley,” Dan Laustsen

“The Power of the Dog,” Ari Wegner

“The Tragedy of Macbeth,” Bruno Delbonnel

“West Side Story,” Janusz Kamiński

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

“Encanto”

“Flee”

“Luca”

“The Mitchells vs. the Machines”

“Raya and the Last Dragon”

BEST ANIMATED SHORT

“Affairs of the Art”

“Bestia”

“Boxballet”

“Robin Robin”

“The Windshield Wiper”

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

“Cruella” 

“Cyrano” 

“Dune” 

“Nightmare Alley” 

“West Side Story” 

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

“Don’t Look Up,” Nicholas Britell

“Dune,” Hans Zimmer

“Encanto,” Germaine Franco

“Parallel Mothers,” Alberto Iglesias

“The Power of the Dog,” Jonny Greenwood

BEST SOUND

“Belfast” 

“Dune” 

“No Time to Die” 

“The Power of the Dog” 

“West Side Story”

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

“Be Alive” (“King Richard”), Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Dixson

“Dos Oruguitas” (“Encanto”), Lin-Manuel Miranda

“Down to Joy” (“Belfast”), Van Morrison

“No Time to Die” (“No Time to Die”), Billie Eilish, Finneas O’Connell

“Somehow You Do” (“Four Good Days”), Diane Warren

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

“Ascension” 

“Attica”

“Flee”

“Summer of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)”

“Writing With Fire” 

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

“Audible”

“Lead Me Home”

“The Queen of Basketball”

“Three Songs for Benazir”

“When We Were Bullies”

BEST FILM EDITING

“Don’t Look Up”

“Dune”

“King Richard”

“The Power of the Dog”

“Tick, Tick … Boom!”

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE

“Drive My Car” (Japan)

“Flee” (Denmark)

“The Hand of God” (Italy)

“Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom” (Bhutan)

“The Worst Person in the World” (Norway)

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIR

“Coming 2 America”

“Cruella” 

“Dune” 

“The Eyes of Tammy Faye”

“House of Gucci” 

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

“Dune” 

“Nightmare Alley” 

“The Power of the Dog”

“The Tragedy of Macbeth”

“West Side Story” 

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

“Dune” 

“Free Guy” 

“No Time to Die” 

“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” 

“Spider-Man: No Way Home” 

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT

“Ala Kachuu – Take and Run”

“The Dress”

“The Long Goodbye”

“On My Mind”

“Please Hold”

The Academy Awards will air on ABC on March 27, 2022.

(Photo credit: Netflix)

#TFCA: “DRIVE MY CAR” NAMED BEST FILM OF 2021 BY TORONTO FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION

The Toronto Film Critics Association have announced their 2021 Award Winners today. Winning top honours of Best Film is DRIVE MY CAR, a Japanese Drama written and directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi. The Film is Japan’s official entry at the upcoming Academy Awards.

Runners-up were LICORICE PIZZA and THE POWER OF THE DOG.

The Rogers Best Canadian Film Award will award one winner $100,000 from Rogers Communications Inc., with two runners-up each receiving $5,000. Finalists in this category are Beans, directed by Tracey Deer; Night Raiders, directed by Danis Goulet; Scarborough, directed by Shasha Nakhai and Rich Williamson. The winner will be announced at their upcoming (date TBD) Awards Gala.

List of winners below:

Best Film

DRIVE MY CAR

Runners-up: LICORICE PIZZA

THE POWER OF THE DOG

Best Director

Jane Campion (THE POWER OF THE DOG)

Runners-up: Hamaguchi Ryusuke (DRIVE MY CAR)

Denis Villeneuve (DUNE)

Best Actress

Olivia Colman (THE LOST DAUGHTER)

Runners-up: Penelope Cruz (PARALLEL MOTHERS)

Kristen Stewart (SPENCER)

Best Actor

Denzel Washington (THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH)

Runners-up: Benedict Cumberbatch (THE POWER OF THE DOG)

Andrew Garfield (TICK, TICK…BOOM!)

Best Supporting Actress

Jessie Buckley (THE LOST DAUGHTER)

Runners-up: Kirsten Dunst (THE POWER OF THE DOG)

Ruth Negga (PASSING)

Best Supporting Actor

Bradley Cooper (LICORICE PIZZA)

Runners-up: Ciaran Hinds (BELFAST)

Kodi Smit-McPhee (THE POWER OF THE DOG)

Best Screenplay

DRIVE MY CAR

Runners-up: LICORICE PIZZA

THE POWER OF THE DOG

Best Animated Feature

FLEE

Runners-up: ENCANTO

THE MITCHELLS VS THE MACHINES

Best Documentary

SUMMER OF SOUL (…OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED)

Runners-up: FLEE

THE VELVET UNDERGROUND

Best Foreign Language Film

DRIVE MY CAR

Runners-up: PETITE MAMAN

THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD

Best First Feature

THE LOST DAUGHTER

Runners-up: PASSING

PIG

SHIVA BABY

More to come here.

#GOLDENGLOBES: “WEST SIDE STORY”, “THE POWER OF THE DOG” AND “SUCCESSION AMONG BIG WINNERS AT 2022 GOLDEN GLOBES

While they were not televised this year, the 79th edition of the GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS took place tonight in private at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. In response to some controversy over the Hollywood Foreign Press Association‘s lack of diversity and business practices, plus also COVID-19 considerations, the event was scaled back, without stars in attendance this year.

Winning top honours this year in the Film categories were THE POWER OF THE DOG, taking Motion Picture – Drama, Director (Jane Campion) and Supporting Actor (Kodi Smit-McPhee), and also WEST SIDE STORY which took Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical, Actress (Rachel Zegler) and Supporting Actress (Ariana DeBose).

In the Television categories, HBO‘s SUCCESSION took top honours for Series Drama, plus Actor in Series Drama (Jeremy Strong) and Supporting Actress – Television (Sarah Snook).

Some surprises in the Motion Picture – Drama Actor and Actress categories with Will Smith defeating THE POWER OF THE DOG‘s Benedict Cumberbatch among others for his work in KING RICHARD, and BEING THE RICARDOS’ Nicole Kidman beating-out favourite Kristen Stewart for SPENCER.

Here are a list of winners:

FILMS

Motion picture — Drama

“The Power of the Dog” | WINNER
“Belfast”
“CODA”
“Dune”
“King Richard”

Actor in a motion picture — Drama

Will Smith (“King Richard”) | WINNER
Mahershala Ali (“Swan Song”)
Javier Bardem (“Being the Ricardos”)
Benedict Cumberbatch (“The Power of the Dog”)
Denzel Washington (“The Tragedy of Macbeth”)

Actress in a motion picture — Drama

Nicole Kidman (“Being the Ricardos”) | WINNER
Jessica Chastain (“The Eyes of Tammy Faye”)
Olivia Colman (“The Lost Daughter”)
Lady Gaga (“House of Gucci”)
Kristen Stewart (“Spencer”)

Motion picture — Musical or Comedy

“West Side Story” | WINNER
“Cyrano”
“Don’t Look Up”
“Licorice Pizza”
“Tick, Tick…Boom!”

Actor in a motion picture — Musical or Comedy

Andrew Garfield (“Tick, Tick…Boom!”) | WINNER
Leonardo DiCaprio (“Don’t Look Up”)
Peter Dinklage (“Cyrano”)
Cooper Hoffman, “Licorice Pizza”
Anthony Ramos, “In the Heights”

Actress in a motion picture — Musical or Comedy

Rachel Zegler (“West Side Story”) | WINNER
Marion Cotillard (“Annette”)
Alana Haim (“Licorice Pizza”)
Jennifer Lawrence (“Don’t Look Up”)
Emma Stone (“Cruella”)

Supporting actor in a motion picture

Kodi Smit-McPhee (“The Power of the Dog”) | WINNER
Ben Affleck, “The Tender Bar”
Jamie Dornan (“Belfast”)
Ciarán Hinds (“Belfast”)
Troy Kotsur (“CODA”)

Supporting actress in a motion picture

Ariana DeBose (“West Side Story”) | WINNER
Caitriona Balfe (“Belfast”)
Kirsten Dunst (“The Power of the Dog”)
Aunjanue Ellis (“King Richard”)
Ruth Negga (“Passing”)

Director — Motion Picture

Jane Campion (“The Power of the Dog”) – WINNER
Kenneth Branagh (“Belfast”)
Maggie Gyllenhaal (“The Lost Daughter”)
Steven Spielberg (“West Side Story”)
Denis Villeneuve (“Dune”)

Screenplay — Motion Picture

“Belfast”| WINNER
“Being the Ricardos”
“Don’t Look Up”
“Licorice Pizza”
“The Power of the Dog”

Motion picture — Foreign Language

“Drive My Car” (Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, Japan) | WINNER
“Compartment No. 6” (Juho Kuosmanen, Finland)
“The Hand of God” (Paolo Sorrentino, Italy)
“A Hero” (Asghar Farhadi, Iran)
“Parallel Mothers” (Pedro Almodóovar, Spain)

Motion picture — Animated

“Encanto” | WINNER
“Flee”
“Luca”
“My Sunny Maad”
“Raya and the Last Dragon”

Original score — Motion Picture

“Dune” — Hans Zimmer | WINNER
“Encanto” — Germaine Franco
“The French Dispatch” — Alexandre Desplat
“Parallel Mothers” — Alberto Iglesias
“The Power of the Dog” — Jonny Greenwood

Original song — Motion Picture

“No Time to Die” from “No Time to Die” (Billie Eilish; written by Eilish, Miles Ale, Finneas O’Connell) | WINNER
“Be Alive” from “King Richard” (Beyoncé; written by Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Dixson)
“Dos Oruguitas” from “Encanto” (Sebastiáan Yatra; written by Lin-Manuel Miranda)
“Down to Joy” from “Belfast” (written and performed by Van Morrison)
“Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)” from “Respect” (Jennifer Hudson; written by Jamie Alexander Hartman, Hudson, Carole King)

TV

Television series — Drama

“Succession” | WINNER
“Lupin”
“The Morning Show”
“Pose”
“Squid Game”

Actor in a television series — Drama

Jeremy Strong, “Succession” | WINNER
Brian Cox, “Succession”
Lee Jung-jae, “Squid Game”
Billy Porter, “Pose”
Omar Sy, “Lupin”

Actress in a television series — Drama

Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, “Pose” | WINNER
Uzo Aduba, “In Treatment”
Jennifer Aniston, “The Morning Show”
Christine Baranaski, “The Good Fight”
Elisabeth Moss, “The Handmaid’s Tale”

Television series — musical or comedy

“Hacks” | WINNER
“The Great”
“Only Murders in the Building”
“Reservation Dogs”
“Ted Lasso”

Actor in a television series — musical or comedy

Jason Sudeikis, “Ted Lasso” | WINNER
Anthony Anderson, “black-ish”
Nicholas Hoult, “The Great”
Steve Martin, “Only Murders in the Building”
Martin Short, “Only Murders in the Building”

Actress in a television series — Musical or Comedy

Jean Smart, “Hacks” | WINNER
Hannah Einbeinder, “Hacks”
Elle Fanning, “The Great”
Issa Rae, “Insecure”
Tracee Ellis Ross, “black-ish”

Limited series, anthology series or motion picture made for Television

“The Underground Railroad” | WINNER
“Dopesick”
“Impeachment: American Crime Story”
“Maid”
“Mare of Easttown”

Actor in a limited series, anthology series or motion picture made for television

Michael Keaton, “Dopesick” | WINNER
Paul Bettany, “WandaVision”
Oscar Isaac, “Scenes from a Marriage”
Ewan McGregor, “Halston”
Tahar Rahim, “The Serpent”

Actress in a limited series, anthology series or motion picture made for television

Kate Winslet, “Mare of Easttown” | WINNER
Jessica Chastain, “Scenes from a Marriage”
Cynthia Erivo, “Genius: Aretha”
Elizabeth Olsen, “WandaVision”
Margaret Qualley, “Maid”

Supporting Actor — Television

O Yeong-Su, “Squid Game” | WINNER
Billy Crudup, “The Morning Show”
Kieran Culkin, “Succession”
Mark Duplass, “The Morning Show”
Brett Goldstein, “Ted Lasso”

Supporting Actress — Television

Sarah Snook, “Succession” | WINNER
Jennifer Coolidge, “White Lotus”
Kaitlyn Dever, “Dopesick”
Andie MacDowell, “Maid”
Hannah Waddingham, “Ted Lasso”

Awards Season will culminate in the 94th annual Academy Awards, which take place Sunday, March 27, 2022.

(Photo credit: 20th Century Studios)

#EDITORSNOTE: TEAM MR. WILL TOP TENS OF 2021

While it felt the latter part of 2021 was rather hectic on the release side for films, it certainly was a memorable, although sometimes chaotic year in Cinema. As we saw several films which should’ve surfaced in 2020, banked for our enjoyment on the big screen this year, it makes it even more challenging to narrow down our favourites. Truly, the Films that made the cut in 2021 truly were outstanding as they had to shine amongst a quality slate of releases.

Though it seems we’re making one step forward and two steps back in making it through this Pandemic, we were so happy to have been able to be back in theatres once again and enjoy a hybrid version of the Toronto International Film Festival. For that we are grateful and we look forward to sitting in a theatre once again, full capacity with popcorn and drink in-hand, even if not yet.

Team Mr. Will break down their favourite releases of 2021 for us and as always, it is an exciting and eclectic mix. Films like CODA, ROADRUNNER, NINE DAYS, C’MON C’MON and MASS might not be on all Critics’ Top Tens, but they fared well among the Team and found a home with us. If you’re still deciding what to see or are on the fence about, let us help you out!

So grateful for this amazing family of Writers and their esteemed opinions and hard work delivering for us year-round.

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AMANDA GILMORE (@GilmoreAmanda)

I think Cinema is at its best when it entertains, increases empathy and enlighten us. The films in my Top Ten check those boxes for me. However, 2021 is filled with impactful Cinema and my list could easily be 20! Other films I love are Awards Season favourites King Richard, Belfast & Spencer. This list was made before viewing A Hero, Parallel Mothers & Cyrano.

The Worst Person in the World & Petite Maman would be below but they release in 2022. Keep an eye out for them!

Top Ten Narratives (in alphabetical order):

C’mon C’mon
CODA
Drive My Car
Judas & the Black Messiah
The Lost Daughter
Nine Days
Passing
The Power of the Dog
tick, tick… BOOM!
West Side Story

Fav Docs (in alphabetical order):
Flee
Summer of Soul
Writing With Fire

NICHOLAS PORTEOUS (@noveltyhat)

1. NYC Epicenters
2. Life in a Day: 2020
3. The Last Duel
4. Dune
5. Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain
6. C’mon C’mon
7. Spencer
8. The Green Knight
9. Bo Burnham: Inside
10. Annette

In a near-tie for my favorite this year: two Documentaries attempting to process recent history. Life in a Day revisits the original 2010 experiment, sourcing thousands of hours of amateur footage from across the world shot on a single day in 2020 that might as well represent the era. Spike Lee‘s NYC Epicenters–a four part miniseries available on Crave–looks at every major New York disaster since 9/11 up to the present moment with absolutely crushing clarity. Sidenote: Netflix‘s ‘Turning Point‘ gives 9/11 some much-needed context as the inciting incident in a much broader tragedy for the people of Iraq and Afghanistan. Bo Burnham’s Inside grapples with our collective quarantine routine, and though I have misgivings about how accurate it is to Burnham‘s real experience of the pandemic–dropping it a bit further down the list–I cannot deny the singular power of his music to bring meaning to our perpetually sealed-off lives. In third–and the first narrative on the list–The Last Duel failed to connect with the Box Office but succeeded in keeping me locked at a 70° angle as I untangled the all-too-familiar cycle of assault, denial, and public scorn told from three distinct perspectives, brought together by a relentless, titular duel more explosive than anything Ridley Scott has ever yelled at a journalist. Dune could not be less connected to our present, so it was nice to become ensnared in its deadly world with the most well-integrated Visual Effects I’ve ever seen. Roadrunner and C’mon C’mon are both stories of Documentarians who live their work. For Joaquin Phoenix, it’s a spiritually healing act. For Anthony Bourdain, it’s a bit more complicated. Spencer synthesized Diana‘s tragedy into a devastating weekend of pheasant hunting, pea soup and Jazz. Sidenote: ‘Diana the Musical‘ is worth a Netflix skim for a horrific glimpse into yet another way of defining her story. The Green Knight revitalized title cards–along with reflections on destiny and death. And Annette finally put an end to our cultural obsession with selfish toxic male stars–j/k!

GEORGE KOZERA (@PartyG)

2021 was the year I capitulated, when it came to the Movies. I firmly believed that they HAD to be seen on a big screen to even be considered worthy candidates to make my personal “Best” list. To me, VOD always stood for movies that studios deemed unworthy of a theatrical release and streaming services were like HBO: good stuff but, like HBO movies, should not be considered Oscar-worthy. My feelings came crashing down when I saw my first movie in a darkened theatre when we were finally allowed to do so. It was the Documentary “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain”. It was also the 107th movie I had watched this year. The final nail in the coffin was when I was given the choice to see “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” in the theatre or to stream it and I chose the latter.

Whittling down the 288 titles I watched in 2021 to my Top Ten was no easy task! And apologies to the movies I haven’t seen yet (The Lost Daughter, Drive My Car, A Hero, Parallel Mothers and The Green Knight) that could have made the list and those that I could not squeeze-in (Annette, Flee, Belfast, Being the Ricardos, Don’t Look Up, In the Heights and Passing).

1. The Power of the Dog
2. West Side Story
3. Mass
4. CODA
5. tick…tick…Boom!
6. (tie) Summer of Soul/Attica
7. Nine Lives
8. The Humans
9. Dune
10. The Worst Person in the World

JUSTIN WALDMAN (@DubsReviews)

What a mess 2021 has been, we thought we couldn’t possibly still be in this god damn pandemic anymore but here we are. Thankfully, even through the endless, and I mean ENDLESS delays we got some content this year that was absolutely incredible. Only one movie on this Top Ten list only played the festival circuit, and I cannot stress enough that it must be viewed when it comes out. Everything on this list deserves its placing, and if you haven’t seen some of these picks, please please please go and see it to warm your Cinephile heart. I present to you my top 10 of 2021. May 2022 bring forward some other excellent Cinema!

Alone With You Green Knight
I’m your Man
Language Lessons
Licorice Pizza
Mass
Red Rocket
Tick Tick Boom
Titane
Violet

Note: at the time of publication I have not seen Drive My Car, or Parallel Mothers.

Happy New Year everyone, and Bon Cinema!

DAVID BALDWIN (@DaveMABaldwin)

Were we wrong thinking 2021 would be better than 2020? While it was not nearly as much of a dumpster fire, there is still so much wrong and so few lessons learned. I loved being able to experience movies in a theatre again, yet am depressed at how few people turned up for anything that did not involve Marvel characters (though I did enjoy some of those ones too). Fingers crossed we can lose the increasingly annoying “Exclusively in Theatres” rhetoric at some point in 2022. All of that said, I was able to experience a whole world of titles at digital festivals and likely saw more movies this year alone than I have in previous years (or at least compared to all the years I have tracked on Letterboxd!). So it was not all doom and gloom.

Here is a look at my ranked Top 10 list of titles that had a profound effect on me, inspiring my creativity endlessly in a year where I felt so little, followed by alphabetical lists of 2020 films I could not see until 2021 and a few festival favourites waiting for proper release.

1. Nine Days
2. The Mitchells vs. The Machines
3. Mass
4. Titane
5. Dune
6. The Worst Person in the World
7. Judas and the Black Messiah
8. Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain
9. Riders of Justice
10. Licorice Pizza

2020 Favourites That Were Available This Year
Minari
Quo Vadis, Aida?
Saint Maud

Unreleased Festival Favourites
Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes
Catch the Fair One
The Fallout
Petite Maman
Sundown

MR. WILL (@mrwillw)

Three things we always look for in a great film. One, it has to take us on a real journey and there’s gotta be something at stake that’s meaningful. It doesn’t matter how big the stakes are. It is the Director and Actors’ jobs to make it feel like the journey they are going on matters. Two, we love it when an Actor transforms and we laud bravado in a performance. Three, we want to feel something when we walk away from a film. These Films meet all the criteria for me. Whether it be Kristen Stewart’s transcendent performance as Diana in Spencer which we’re still obsessed with, or what it means for a father to go for broke because he believes so much in his daughters in King Richard, or films like Zola and Red Rocket which pushed the envelope giving us a glimpse into the lives of Sex Workers, my eyes were opened and sometimes welled-up from some of the masterful work I saw in my Top Ten.

Don’t forget to check-out highlights from our 2021 Star Sightings in Toronto here!

1. Spencer
2. King Richard
3. Red Rocket
4. Blue Bayou
5. The Eyes of Tammy Faye
6. Zola
7. West Side Story
8. Dune
9. Coda
10. Licorice Pizza

To another amazing year in Film ahead! Thank you for continuing to join us!

Team Mr. Will

#GOLDENGLOBES: “SUCCESSION” LEADS 2022 GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINEES

2022 Golden Globe nominations were unveiled earlier this morning in Los Angeles with Snoop Dogg serving announcement duties. Topping the nominations this year is HBO’s widely-acclaimed SUCCESSION with five nominations. The third season of the Series just concluded last night with an explosive cliffhanger finish.

Netflix prevailed with the most nominations, garnering a total 17 nominations, with THE POWER OF THE DOG, TICK, TICK…BOOM! and DON’T LOOK UP nominated for Motion Picture – Drama and Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical.

A few interesting observations. Jessica Chastain, who is nominated in both Film and TV categories for her work in THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE and SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE, is placed in the Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama category though technically THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE technically can be considered a Musical, where her chances might have been increased at winning. Many are surprised by the omission of graphic Body-Horror TITANE which won accolades out of Cannes and TIFF. And while many saw NIGHTMARE ALLEY as a major contender, it was nowhere to be found on the list of nominees. Some also are surprised Bradley Cooper didn’t get recognition for his supporting turn in LICORICE PIZZA.

Nominees are below:

Best Television Series, Musical or Comedy

“The Great” (Hulu)

“Hacks” (HBO/HBO Max)

“Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)

“Reservation Dogs” (FX on Hulu)

“Ted Lasso” (Apple TV Plus)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series, Drama

Brian Cox (“Succession”)

Lee Jung-jae (“Squid Game”)

Billy Porter (“Pose”)

Jeremy Strong (“Succession”)

Omar Sy (“Lupin)

Best Performance by an Actress, Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture made for Television

Jessica Chastain (“Scenes From a Marriage”)

Cynthia Erivo (“Genius: Aretha”)

Elizabeth Olsen (“WandaVision“)

Margaret Qualley (“Maid”)

Kate Winslet (“Mare of Easttown”)

Best Director, Motion Picture

Kenneth Branagh (“Belfast”)

Jane Campion (“The Power of the Dog”)

Maggie Gyllenhaal (“The Lost Daughter”)

Steven Spielberg (“West Side Story”)

Denis Villeneuve (“Dune”)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy

Marion Cotillard (“Annette”)

Alana Haim (“Licorice Pizza”)

Jennifer Lawrence (“Don’t Look Up”)

Emma Stone (“Cruella”)

Rachel Zegler (“West Side Story”)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama

Mahershala Ali (“Swan Song”)

Javier Bardem (“Being the Ricardos”)

Benedict Cumberbatch (“The Power of the Dog”)

Will Smith (“King Richard”)

Denzel Washington (“The Tragedy of Macbeth”)

Best Television Series, Drama

“Lupin” (Netflix)

“The Morning Show” (Apple TV Plus)

“Pose” (FX)

“Squid Game” (Netflix)

“Succession” (HBO/HBO Max)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Drama

Uzo Aduba (“In Treatment”)

Jennifer Aniston (“The Morning Show”)

Christine Baranski (“The Good Fight)

Elisabeth Moss (“The Handmaid’s Tale”)

Michaela Jaé Rodriguez (“Pose”)

Best Performance by an Actor, Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture made for Television

Paul Bettany (“WandaVision”)

Oscar Isaac (“Scenes From a Marriage”)

Michael Keaton (“Dopesick”)

Ewan McGregor (“Halston”)

Tahar Rahim (“The Serpent”)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy

Leonardo DiCaprio (“Don’t Look Up”)

Peter Dinklage (“Cyrano”)

Andrew Garfield (“Tick, Tick … Boom!”)

Cooper Hoffman (“Licorice Pizza”)

Anthony Ramos (“In the Heights”)

Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture

Ben Affleck (“The Tender Bar”)

Jamie Dornan (“Belfast”)

Ciarán Hinds (“Belfast”)

Troy Kotsur (“CODA”)

Kodi Smit-McPhee (“The Power of the Dog”)

Best Original Score, Motion Picture

“The French Dispatch” (Searchlight Pictures) — Alexandre Desplat

“Encanto” (Walt Disney Pictures) — Germaine Franco

“The Power of the Dog” (Netflix) — Jonny Greenwood

“Parallel Mothers” (Sony Pictures Classic) — Alberto Iglesias

“Dune” (Warner Bros.) — Hans Zimmer

Best Actress in a TV Series, Musical or Comedy

Hannah Einbinder (“Hacks”)

Elle Fanning (“The Great”)

Issa Rae (“Insecure”)

Tracee Ellis Ross (“Black-ish”)

Jean Smart (“Hacks”)

Best Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture made for Television

“Dopesick” (Hulu)

“Impeachment: American Crime Story” (FX)

“Maid” (Netflix)

“Mare of Easttown” (HBO/HBO Max)

“The Underground Railroad” (Amazon Prime Video)

Best Supporting Actor, Television

Billy Crudup (“The Morning Show”)

Kieran Culkin (“Succession”)

Mark Duplass (“The Morning Show”)

Brett Goldstein (“Ted Lasso”)

O Yeong-su (“Squid Game”)

Best Picture, Musical or Comedy

“Cyrano” (MGM)

“Don’t Look Up” (Netflix)

“Licorice Pizza” (MGM)

“Tick, Tick … Boom!” (Netflix)

“West Side Story” (20th Century Studios / Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

Best Supporting Actress, Motion Picture

Caitríona Balfe (“Belfast”)

Ariana DeBose (“West Side Story”)

Kirsten Dunst (“The Power of the Dog”)

Aunjanue Ellis (“King Richard”)

Ruth Negga (“Passing”)

Best Picture, Foreign Language

“Compartment No. 6” (Sony Pictures Classics) — Finland, Russia, Germany

“Drive My Car” (Janus Films) — Japan

“The Hand of God” (Netflix) — Italy

“A Hero” (Amazon Studios) — France, Iran

“Parallel Mothers” (Sony Pictures Classics) — Spain

Best Screenplay, Motion Picture

Paul Thomas Anderson — “Licorice Pizza” (MGM/United Artists Releasing)

Kenneth Branagh — “Belfast” (Focus Features)

Jane Campion — “The Power of the Dog” (Netflix)

Adam McKay — “Don’t Look Up” (Netflix)

Aaron Sorkin — “Being the Ricardos” (Amazon Studios)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama

Jessica Chastain (“The Eyes of Tammy Faye”)

Olivia Colman (“The Lost Daughter”)

Nicole Kidman (“Being the Ricardos”)

Lady Gaga (“House of Gucci”)

Kristen Stewart (“Spencer”)

Best Motion Picture, Drama

“Belfast” (Focus Features)

“CODA” (Apple)

“Dune” (Warner Bros.)

“King Richard” (Warner Bros.)

“The Power of the Dog” (Netflix)

Best Television Actor, Musical / Comedy Series

Anthony Anderson (“Black-ish”)

Nicholas Hoult (“The Great”)

Steve Martin (“Only Murders in the Building”)

Martin Short (“Only Murders in the Building”)

Jason Sudeikis (“Ted Lasso”)

Best Supporting Actress, Television

Jennifer Coolidge (“White Lotus”)

Kaitlyn Dever (“Dopesick”)

Andie MacDowell (“Maid”)

Sarah Snook (“Succession”)

Hannah Waddingham (“Ted Lasso”)

Best Original Song, Motion Picture

“Be Alive” from “King Richard” (Warner Bros.) — Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Dixson

“Dos Orugitas” from “Encanto” (Walt Disney Pictures) — Lin-Manuel Miranda

“Down to Joy” from “Belfast” (Focus Features) — Van Morrison

“Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)” from “Respect” (MGM/United Artists Releasing) — Jamie Hartman, Jennifer Hudson, Carole King

“No Time to Die” from “No Time to Die” (MGM/United Artists Releasing) — Billie Eilish, Finneas O’Connell

Best Motion Picture, Animated

“Encanto” (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

“Flee” (Neon)

“Luca” (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

“My Sunny Maad” (Totem Films)

“Raya and the Last Dragon” (Walt Disney Studios)

While the Awards won’t be televised this year as the Hollywood Foreign Press Association focus on reform and review of their practices, the winners will be announced January 9, 2022.

(Photo credit: HBO)

#FIRSTLOOK: “THE POWER OF THE DOG” TRAILER

Hot off its momentum-building Festival Circuit run, Jane Campion‘s THE POWER OF THE DOG surfaces with a brand-new Trailer.

Synopsis:

Severe, pale-eyed, handsome, Phil Burbank is brutally beguiling. All of Phil’s romance, power and fragility is trapped in the past and in the land: He can castrate a bull calf with two swift slashes of his knife; he swims naked in the river, smearing his body with mud. He is a cowboy as raw as his hides.The year is 1925. The Burbank brothers are wealthy ranchers in Montana. At the Red Mill restaurant on their way to market, the brothers meet Rose, the widowed proprietress, and her impressionable son Peter. Phil behaves so cruelly he drives them both to tears, reveling in their hurt and rousing his fellow cowhands to laughter – all except his brother George, who comforts Rose then returns to marry her.
As Phil swings between fury and cunning, his taunting of Rose takes an eerie form – he hovers at the edges of her vision, whistling a tune she can no longer play. His mockery of her son is more overt, amplified by the cheering of Phil’s cowhand disciples. Then Phil appears to take the boy under his wing. Is this latest gesture a softening that leaves Phil exposed, or a plot twisting further into menace?

THE POWER OF THE DOG is in select theatres on November 17, 2021 and on Netflix December 1, 2021.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

#TIFF: TIFF PRESENT UPCOMING PROGRAMMING IN NOVEMBER 2021

TIFF announce their upcoming programming slate, and trust me, there is some really good stuff including TIFF ’21 favourites SPENCER (we’re definitely seeing this again!) and THE POWER OF THE DOG, plus some cool retrospectives!

TIFF CINEMATHEQUE SERIES

Céline Sciamma: Portraits of Desire – November 11 to 21, 2021

Since the success of the widely acclaimed Portrait of a Lady on Fire — which won both the Queer Palm and the Award for Best Screenplay at Cannes 2019 — French filmmaker Céline Sciamma made both a departure from her three previous films and a masterful culmination of an oeuvre that sensitively and intelligently deals with such urgent themes as gender identity, female bonds, and the blurred boundaries between friendship and love. This programme was created to celebrate her work upon the release of her fourth feature, and now, two years later, it’s even more urgent and resonant as audiences await the theatrical release of the director’s latest film, Petite Maman (2021), which had its Canadian premiere at the Festival. Included in this retrospective are Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Girlhood, Tomboy, and her debut, Water Lilies, as well as the animated film My Life as a Courgette (which Sciamma co-scripted).

Paul Thomas Anderson: Evolution of a Master – November 25 to 28, 2021

Size matters in the films of Paul Thomas Anderson, and the increasing visual and thematic scope of his work is illustrated by these 70mm presentations tracing his evolution from big, unwieldy indie-cinema talent to a refined, mature American master. From the pyrotechnical brilliance of his sophomore breakthrough, Boogie Nights, to the elliptical psychic case study of The Master, to the wry fairy-tale riffage of Phantom Thread, Anderson has always crafted images strong and detailed enough to match his ideas. With introductions by critic Adam Nayman, author of the acclaimed 2020 book Paul Thomas Anderson: Masterworks, and a screening of David Lean’s 1949 romance The Passionate Friends, a major influence on Phantom Thread, this series seeks to honour these movies’ monumental accomplishments. 

Musicals! The Movies that Moved Us – December 2, 2021 to January 6, 2022

Whether you know all the words to each song or you’re discovering these classics for the first time, there’s no denying the show-stopping pleasure of the form. The best musicals are grounded in sophisticated narratives, remarkable visual invention, and towering achievements in technical craft. Watch how Stanley Donen, Vincente Minnelli, Farah Khan, Jacques Demy, Ken Russell, Mani Ratnam, and more turn the delights of movie musicals to their own particular passions. Comprising 25 films, the programme will delight any fun-loving musical fan with movies like Singin’ in the Rain (1952), West Side Story (1961), Moulin Rouge! (2001), Mughal-E-Azam (1960), All That Jazz (1979), Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000), Grease (1978), and Purple Rain (1984).

Guillermo del Toro Presents: Film Noirs from 20th Century Fox – December 3 to 19, 2021

In anticipation of Guillermo del Toro’s upcoming release Nightmare Alley, TIFF Cinematheque presents a curated selection of film noirs from 20th Century Fox, hand-picked by del Toro himself. Inspired by the runs of similar genre-making studio films such as the highly-stylized gangster pictures championed by Warner Bros. in the 1930s (which cemented the anti-hero archetype in the face of the Hays Code’s guidelines) and the legendary monster movies helmed by Universal Studios between the ’30s and ’50s (whose creatures became the visual and emotional reference points for all subsequent horror-movie monsters), del Toro sees the brilliant stream of film noirs made under the 20th Century Fox banner as equally deserving of canonization. Before taking a turn down Nightmare Alley, audiences will have a chance to explore the director’s top five influential film noirs from the studio’s golden age of hard-boiled cinema, all on archival 35mm prints or in restored presentations.

SUBSCRIPTION SERIES

Subscriptions are on sale to Members now and to the public on October 27.

Reel Talk: Contemporary World Cinema – November 7, 2021 to March 20, 2022
Offering a global snapshot of the best cinema from around the world, Reel Talk: Contemporary World Cinema provides a focus on non-English-language, art-house films that may not see wide release.

Secret Movie Club – November 14, 2021 to January 23, 2022
Back again in its old clubhouse, TIFF Bell Lightbox, this series offers some of the best new indie cinema before it hits Toronto theatres. Last season’s lineup included Minari, The Mauritanian, and Together Together.

SPECIAL EVENTS 

Viola Desmond Day: Jennifer Holness on Subjects of Desire – November 8, 2021 at 7pm
TIFF is commemorating the 75th anniversary of Viola Desmond’s historic stand against racial segregation and her barrier-breaking work as founder of the Desmond School of Beauty Culture with a special advance screening of the award-winning documentary Subjects of Desire, followed by a conversation with director Jennifer Holness. This provocative and culturally significant film is told from the perspective of women who aren’t afraid to challenge conventional beauty standards, and is partially set around the 50th anniversary of the Miss Black America Pageant, which was created as a political protest against dominant standards upheld by the beauty pageant industry.

Note: A TIFF digital event commemorating Viola Desmond Day is taking place on Monday,  November 8 at 12 pm ET with scholar Cheryl Thompson and Cameron Bailey, TIFF Artistic Director and Head, for a special talk about Black representation in 1940s cinema. They will discuss what the film experience was like for Black spectators at the time, and how systemic anti-Black racism continues to persist in the film industry to this day. Watch this conversation on TIFF’s Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube channels.

TIFF Next Wave 48-Hour Challenge Screening – November 28, 2021, 2:30pm to 4pm

The highly anticipated return of the TIFF Next Wave 48-Hour Film Challenge welcomes teams of young creators to produce a short film in only 48 hours. TIFF will showcase all of the films shot during the challenge and celebrate the next wave of emerging filmmakers. Following the screening, one team will be awarded the grand prize for best film by a jury of film industry professionals.

NEW RELEASES

Opens October 27
Passing
Rebecca Hall | UK, USA | 2021 | 98 mins.

Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga star as two Black women contending with the notion of “passing” for white, in this 1920s-set psychological thriller. Shot in a 4:3 aspect ratio in beautiful black and white, this film was made for the big screen. Nominated for five Gotham Awards, including Best Feature, Best Screenplay, and Outstanding Lead Performance (Tessa Thompson).

Opens November 4
Spencer
Pablo Larraín | Germany, UK | 2021 | 111 mins. 
Official Selection, 2021 Toronto International Film Festival

Kristen Stewart stars in Pablo Larraín’s haunting chamber drama that imagines a tumultuous Christmas in the life of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Opens November 12
tick, tick… BOOM!
Lin-Manuel Miranda | USA | 2021 | 112 mins. 

On the cusp of his 30th birthday, a promising young theatre composer navigates love, friendship, and the pressures of life as an artist in New York City.

Opens November 17
The Power of the Dog
Jane Campion | Australia, New Zealand | 2021 | 127 mins.
Official Selection, 2021 Toronto International Film Festival

TIFF Tribute Actor Award honouree Benedict Cumberbatch and Kirsten Dunst lead Jane Campion’s drama about two brothers whose lives change when a widow and her son arrive at their ranch.

(Photo credit: Elevation Pictures)

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TEASER FOR “THE POWER OF THE DOG”

Premiering at TIFF ’21, here is the new Teaser Trailer for Jane Campion‘s THE POWER OF THE DOG.

Synopsis:

Severe, pale-eyed, handsome, Phil Burbank is brutally beguiling. All of Phil’s romance, power and fragility is trapped in the past and in the land: He can castrate a bull calf with two swift slashes of his knife; he swims naked in the river, smearing his body with mud. He is a cowboy as raw as his hides.

The year is 1925. The Burbank brothers are wealthy ranchers in Montana. At the Red Mill restaurant on their way to market, the brothers meet Rose, the widowed proprietress, and her impressionable son Peter. Phil behaves so cruelly he drives them both to tears, reveling in their hurt and rousing his fellow cowhands to laughter – all except his brother George, who comforts Rose then returns to marry her.

As Phil swings between fury and cunning, his taunting of Rose takes an eerie form – he hovers at the edges of her vision, whistling a tune she can no longer play. His mockery of her son is more overt, amplified by the cheering of Phil’s cowhand disciples. Then Phil appears to take the boy under his wing. Is this latest gesture a softening that leaves Phil exposed, or a plot twisting further into menace?

Trailer:

Netflix release THE POWER OF THE DOG in select theatres on November 17, 2021 and on Netflix December 1, 2021.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)