Best Picture? check.
Mahershala Ali? check (big fan of his from House of Cards).
A potentially unique story told from a so-far untold perspective? check
A tepid, slow, meandering, meaningless, sparkless two-hour bore? check.
1. As mentioned, I really like Ali. But this was not within 100 miles of an Oscar-worthy performance. I suppose he looks and acts like a drug dealer, but aside from the superficial, he isn't all that different from "Remy Danton", lip-licking included. I suspect this is an actor "tic", frequently licking his lips, and imo an Oscar-worthy performance needs to be tic-less. Watch Viola Davis in Fences. THAT screams Academy Award.
2. I have no issue watching movies about black characters. Or gay characters. Or Black AND gay characters. But I do have an issue watching a movie in which the protagonist is weak, passive, and way too quiet most of the time. I want to know how he feels. I want to hear his opinion.
3. If you're doing a film in which there is a time-lapse, your protagonist should kinda sorta look like the same person in each time period. The 3 Chirons really couldn't be much more distinct, and it ruins any sense of continuity of emotion (if any) you've built for this character.
Having said that, I thought the middle, teen Chiron was the most interesting and compelling, both in the actor's appearance & performance, and story-wise. I really wish they would have just aged him up. Let's be real, nobody changes THAT much between 16 and their mid-20s. The best part of the film *SPOILER ALERT* was when he was beat up by his friend and instead of ratting out the perpetrators, he marched through the school in a fit of rage and smashed the ringleader with a chair. FINALLY, some raw emotion, anger, venting frustration, action, etc. The film needed more of this, more of Chiron reacting to his environment.
I can only echo other reviewers when I posit that this film's "political" content and characters lent itself very well to the awards season. I've seen a great many Best Picture winners, and so far this is the worst film to have won that award.
Mahershala Ali? check (big fan of his from House of Cards).
A potentially unique story told from a so-far untold perspective? check
A tepid, slow, meandering, meaningless, sparkless two-hour bore? check.
1. As mentioned, I really like Ali. But this was not within 100 miles of an Oscar-worthy performance. I suppose he looks and acts like a drug dealer, but aside from the superficial, he isn't all that different from "Remy Danton", lip-licking included. I suspect this is an actor "tic", frequently licking his lips, and imo an Oscar-worthy performance needs to be tic-less. Watch Viola Davis in Fences. THAT screams Academy Award.
2. I have no issue watching movies about black characters. Or gay characters. Or Black AND gay characters. But I do have an issue watching a movie in which the protagonist is weak, passive, and way too quiet most of the time. I want to know how he feels. I want to hear his opinion.
3. If you're doing a film in which there is a time-lapse, your protagonist should kinda sorta look like the same person in each time period. The 3 Chirons really couldn't be much more distinct, and it ruins any sense of continuity of emotion (if any) you've built for this character.
Having said that, I thought the middle, teen Chiron was the most interesting and compelling, both in the actor's appearance & performance, and story-wise. I really wish they would have just aged him up. Let's be real, nobody changes THAT much between 16 and their mid-20s. The best part of the film *SPOILER ALERT* was when he was beat up by his friend and instead of ratting out the perpetrators, he marched through the school in a fit of rage and smashed the ringleader with a chair. FINALLY, some raw emotion, anger, venting frustration, action, etc. The film needed more of this, more of Chiron reacting to his environment.
I can only echo other reviewers when I posit that this film's "political" content and characters lent itself very well to the awards season. I've seen a great many Best Picture winners, and so far this is the worst film to have won that award.