#OSCARS: “ROMA” + “THE FAVOURITE” LEAD OSCAR NOMINATIONS

Nominations for the 91st annual Academy Awards were announced this morning and the race still very much is wide-open without a clean-cut choice for Best Picture… and no host set for ceremony itself.

Tying at ten nods apiece are Alfonso Cuarón‘s ROMA and Yorgos Lanthimos’ THE FAVOURITE. Best Picture nominees include:

Best Picture
Black Panther
BlacKkKlansman
Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite
Green Book
Roma
A Star Is Born
Vice

 

Continuing on its Golden Globes success, we see Bohemian Rhapsody continue to be a major force into the Oscars with Rami Malek up for the highly-competitive Best Actor alongside Bradley Cooper, Viggo Mortensen, Willem Dafoe and Christian Bale.

The Best Actress category also is hotly-contested with screen veteran Glenn Close up against Lady Gaga, Melissa McCarthy, Olivia Colman and aboriginal Mexican Actress Yalitza Aparicio, who stars in ROMA.

Marina de Tavira who also stars in ROMA, pops-up as a bit of a surprise candidate for Best Supporting Actress. The category also includes favourite Regina King, Amy Adams, plus The Favourite Co-Stars and previous Oscar winners, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz.

Best Supporting Actor sees Mahershala Ali in contention with Adam Driver, Richard E. Grant, Sam Rockwell after a snub at the Golden Globes, Sam Elliott for A STAR IS BORN.

Many are shocked that after a presence in the Directing category most of Awards Season, that Bradley Cooper was omitted in the Oscars race for his directorial debut in A STAR IS BORN. Up for Best Directing are Spike Lee, Adam McKay, Pawel Pawlikowski, Yorgos Lanthimos and favourite Alfonso Cuarón.

Another noticeable omission is Morgan Neville’s Mr. Rogers Documentary WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? which has been present through much of the season. Nominated for Best Documentary are Free Solo, Hale County, This Morning, This Evening, Minding the Gap, Of Fathers and Sons and RBG.

The Animated Feature category sees Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse pitted against Incredibles 2, Isle of Dogs, Mirai and Ralph Breaks the Internet.

Toronto’s Domee Shi is up for Animated Short with Disney•Pixar’s BAO.

Complete list of Nominees are here.

The 91st annual Academy Awards air February 24, 2019, 8:00 PM EST on ABC.

 

(Photo credit: Fox Searchlight)

 

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TEASER FOR “THE FAVOURITE”

We have an inkling this will be a major force this Awards Season. See the new Teaser for THE FAVOURITE, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos (Killing of a Sacred Deer, The Lobster).

 

Synopsis:
Early 18th century. England is at war with the French. Nevertheless, duck racing and pineapple eating are thriving. A frail Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) occupies the throne and her close friend Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz) governs the country in her stead while tending to Anne’s ill health and mercurial temper. When a new servant Abigail (Emma Stone) arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah. Sarah takes Abigail under her wing and Abigail sees a chance at a return to her aristocratic roots. As the politics of war become quite time consuming for Sarah, Abigail steps into the breach to fill in as the Queen’s companion. Their burgeoning friendship gives her a chance to fulfil her ambitions and she will not let woman, man, politics or rabbit stand in her way.

 

See the Teaser:

 

Fox Searchlight release THE FAVOURITE Friday, November 23, 2018.

 

(Photo/video credit: Fox Searchlight)

#GIVEAWAY: ENTER TO WIN RUN-OF-ENGAGEMENT PASSES TO SEE “THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER”

Elevation Pictures x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win Run-of-Engagement Passes to see TIFF ’17 Selection THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER starring Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman.

Synopsis:
Dr. Steven Murphy (Colin Farrell) is a renowned cardiovascular surgeon presiding over a spotless household with his ophthalmologist wife Anna (Nicole Kidman) and their two exemplary children, 12-year-old Bob (Sunny Suljian) and14-year-old Kim (Raffey Cassidy). Lurking at the margins of his idyllic suburban existence is Martin (Barry Keoghan), a fatherless teen who Steven has covertly taken under his wing. As Martin begins insinuating himself into the family’s life in ever-more unsettling displays, the full scope of his intent becomes menacingly clear when he confronts Steven with a long-forgotten transgression that will shatter the Murphy family’s domestic bliss. Lanthimos has crafted a sensational thriller brimming with unsettling humor and creeping dread, steeped in Greek tragedy, existential horror, Hitchcockian psychodrama, and riveting suspense. Darting confidently between genres to subvert our expectations at every turn, The Killing of a Sacred Deer firmly cements Lanthimos in the pantheon of world-class auteurs and marks him as a cinematic provocateur without precedent.

Trailer:

Artwork:

To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACBEOOK and indicate for us your City.

Elevation Pictures release THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER Friday, November 3, 2017.

(Photo/video credit: Elevation Pictures)

#TIFF17: “THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER”

Review by Justin Waldman for Mr. Will Wong

Yorgos Lanthimos made a big name for himself with 2015’s The Lobster, he now returns to TIFF with his newest Film The Killing of a Sacred Deer and takes creepy and sinister to a new level. The Film is something truly disturbing and gut wrenching, so strap yourself in for one hell of a ride.

The Film focuses on surgeon Steven (Colin Farrell) who takes Martin (Barry Keoghan) under his wing. At first everything seems relatively normal, despite the fact that a grown man is befriending a young boy, until we find out that Martin’s father died on Steven’s surgery table. This is where the movie starts to take a twist for Steven and his family consisting of Anna (Nicole Kidman), Kim (Raffey Cassidy) and Bob (Sunny Suljic). Steven is faced with an impossible task, can Steven make the ultimate sacrifice or will it be made for him?

The Killing of a Sacred Deer is not for the faint of heart, but it is an intense Thriller that is lightened with a sprinkling of dark humour throughout.

It screens at TIFF on Saturday, September 9th at 9 PM at the Elgin Theatre, and Sunday, September 10th at 11:15 AM at the Princess of Wales Theatre.