Screen cap from German “Transit”
by Sam Juliano
A late night wintry mix and snowfall brought on the cancellation of area schools for Monday morning, though the appearance of the sun at around 10:00 A.M. and the meltdown made this decision seem foolhardy. In any event an unexpected and welcome day off for a number of us.
Last week’s Oscar telecast ended too late for me to include it in the previous Monday morning Diary, but I will list my general thoughts here: Nothing in last night’s surprisingly breezy and well managed Oscar ceremony was as moving as Olivia Colman’s adorable, charming, humble and earthy acceptance speech for her stunning Best Actress win. Certainly this mighty great actress gave as titanic a performance by a female lead as any other thespian this year -including Glenn Close’s turn – but few of us thought this marvelous woman would prevail after she was passed over by SAG. Yay for Olivia Colman! THE FAVORITE is one of my “favorite” films of 2018. I am sad for Glenn Close of course, but who can contest Colman’s glorious win, really? Todd Sherman must be smiling this morning as well he should! Also: Loved Spike Lee’s screenplay win and his rowdy speech. I wasn’t a fan of “A Star is Born” but Gaga and Cooper were electrifying as they crooned “Shallow.” Rami Malek’s win was a celebratory moment (my own fave was Dafoe, but I still loved the Egyptian-American’s epic turn as Freddy Mercury. Yay to Regina King, Mahershala Ali (I was rooting for Richard Grant, but fair enough) and the stellar showing by African-Americans across the board. Yes Roma was absolutely the very best film of the eight nominated for Best Picture (and one of my own Top 5 or 6 films of the year), (The Favourite was the only other MASTERPIECE of the 8) and yes I was surprised it didn’t win the Best Picture award, but it did win those three major prizes for Alfonso Cuaron including Best Foreign Film and Best Director. As to Green Book winning Best Picture, I do like the film, and have it in my Top 20 of the year, so I will say I do not and will not criticize the win, even if I liked a good number of other films more. I suppose Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s brilliant takedown of the criticism hit home with AMPAS members. Don Haumant my friend, you knew all along Roma would not win in the prize. Take a bow. No I did not ever imagine Bohemian Rhapsody would end up the night’s top winner in number of awards with four. Amazing. “Skin” was one of the most brilliant and disturbing short films I’ve ever seen, and the bold win in Live Action short should be applauded. I preferred the masterpieces NEVER LOOK AWAY or COLD WAR in foreign and also would have gone with the stupendous CAPERNAUM or THE SHOPLIFTERS but I still love Roma and fully expected it to win in that category. Thinking of my Chicago-area friend and movie fan Brian Wilson, who sponsored Free Solo all year. Brian no doubt was very pleased this superb documentary triumphed. The show itself? Yeah I know some are saying it was a bore until the last quarter, but you can’t have everything. No host means a streamlined show, and largely it all worked quite well and ended at an acceptable time. I doubt we’ll ever have a single host again!
Photos of our Oscar party are at bottom: So fantastic to have John Grant head in from Hewitt with his wife Pam for the third consecutive year and Adam Ferenz from Flint, Michigan for his maiden appearance. The showing of 54 was the highest ever for any of our annual parties!!
Co-WitD editor Jim Clark’s latest essay on Let the Sunshine In is wholly brilliant and J.D. Lafrance’s review of Bright Lights Big City is masterful. Both posted this past week at the site.
Lucille, Sammy and I took in the existential, meditative and other-worldly German film “Transit” by master class director Christian Petzold on Friday night at the IFC Film Center in Manhattan. Embracing the film vocabulary of the 1940’s the era when the novel was written, the post-modernist “Transit” features Georg (Franz Rogowski), who heads to Marseille during fascist incorporation, assuming the identity papers of a writer who committed suicide. Distinguished by a voiceover point-of-view the film’s tone and refugee depiction is present-day and the narrative is enshrouded in mystery and populated by specters. Paula Beer who plays Marie was previously captivating in “Franz” – a film with which ‘Transit’ bears thematic kinship- and in Von Donnarsmarck’s “Don’t Look Away” where she played Ellie Seeband. My absolute favorite Petzold film is “Phoenix” but “Transit” is extraordinary, a triumph of mood and menace.
Lucille, Sammy, Jeremy, Angelo, Broadway Bob and I saw the Canadian high school drama “Giant Little Ones” at the Angelica Film Center on Saturday night and remained for a comprehensive Q & A afterwards, one which included the director Keith Behrman, the producer Allison Black, the film’s two young stars Josh Wiggins and Darren Mann, female co-star Taylor Hickson, and renowned acting veteran Kyle MacLachlen. The acclaimed film, centering around the life-changing consequences after two male best friends engage in a sexual act after a party when everyone is drunk leads to revelations, violent homophobia and common understanding with the family patriarch (MacLachlan) who has left the family for another man. Nuanced and perceptive, this independent deserves all the praise it has been getting.
Lucille and I watched the South Korean Hotel by the River by acclaimed director Hong Songsoo this afternoon at Manhattan’s Quad Cinemas. The melancholic black and white drama centers on a measure of existential waiting staged by a poet who believes he is about to die. He invites his two estranged sons, who like him have their own familial issues, but their arrival changes little in the static dynamic. Bittersweet humor is dominant in an oddly enveloping work which is superbly lensed, edited and helmed, and builds to a wrenching emotional climax.
Transit **** 1/2 (Friday) IFC Film Center
Giant Little Ones **** 1/2 (Saturday) Angelica Film Center
Hotel by the River **** (Sunday) Quad Cinemas
Kyle MacLachlen
Click on names for archives
Writers/Founders
Wonders in the Dark 
Many thanks again for inviting us to the shindig, Sam! We had a great time.
John, Lucille and I were so thrilled that you made the trek again! And posting on it was above and beyond!! Thank you so much!
Hi Sam,
Glad to get your thoughts about the awards. I also liked Cold War but I was sure that it won’t win. I also had a feeling that since Roma would win best foreign film, it wouldn’t win best film. I couldn’t have seen the reverse happening, it winning best film and not foreign film. So felt the first case was likely. I am absolutely delighted that you saw Transit and liked it. It was my #1 film of 2018. I have yet to see Hong Sang-soo’s Hotel by the River.
Sachin—
So thrilled to hear from you my friend! I was certain you’d love COLD WAR, but yeah to entertain the idea that it would triumph over ROMA would be the longest of long shots. Nice that you foresaw ROMA not winning a second time in the big category. Damn, I should have mentioned TRANSIT was your #1 film of 2018!! My own time-worn method has it for 2019 but either way is proper! I must now re-visit your review of it. I’m sure you will love Sang-Soo’s film as well (and also the Icelandic WOMAN AT WAR which I saw this past Monday evening). Thank you so much my friend!!!
Climax (Gaspar Noe). Watched on my smartphone sans subtitles. Oh. My. God. Sam, have you seen this mind bending horror flick? Surely an instant classic. Paris Dupree was a drag queen and dance pioneer, and the first half of Noe’s flip-out may (or may not) be an homage to Jennie Livingston’s 1990 “Paris Is Burning.” Just go see it, Sam. And bring some Dramamine.
There’s nothing else like it.
Love the way Carroll Baker’s fresh, flawless face is often photographed against decaying walls and rotting pillars in Baby Doll. Trying hard to correct my Kazan blind spot. Dare I give The Arrangement a whirl?
Mark, I came within a hair of seeing CLIMAX last night as it was showing in the screening room right next to the one where we all ultimately saw GLORIA BELL (with Julianne Moore) at Manhattan’s Angelica Film Center. I know the director’s work well and it takes a strong stomach to negotiate it. I am NOT a big fan, but Allan was to some degree and Jamie is, but this will not stop me from seeing the film soon. Hahahahaha – “bring some Dramamine!!” Well I will keep that in mind, and I do like PARIS IS BURNING quite a bit!! As to BABY DOLL I am of course a big fan and I do recommend THE ARRANGEMENT, even with its considerable flaws. I remember Kazan was so disappointed that Marlon Brando refused the role, but Douglas did well. Even Kazan’s weaker films are most interesting than the best films from others. Thanks you so much my friend and have a great upcoming week. Definitely will be comparing notes with you on CLIMAX after I see it.
Fantastic photos of your party Sam! I see you haven’t let up on the movie scene either! You and Lucille are amazing!
Thank you so very much for the exceedingly kind words my friend! Have a great upcoming week!
Sam, have you seen the new Apollo 11 documentary? I hear it is spectacular in IMAX.
Ah Frank, I just saw it over this current weekend on Friday night and have reported on it via the just-published MMD!! Your timely was perfect. Superlative documentary!!! Thank you and have a great upcoming week my friend!
Sam, looks like you had a great time at the oscars. For the past ten years or so I’ve attended a small oscar party at my daughter’s home but this year she and her husband having decided to move somewhere back east were on the road to Florida so I ended up watching the show alone. You highlight in your photos the two moments that I was most thrilled by, best actress Olivia Colman and best song Shallow. Other than that, they had a chance to honor Paul Schrader but chose instead to give the award to the writers of Green Book who admitted in their acceptance that their work was nothing without the actors. I haven’t seen Green Book or Bohemian Rhapsody as I’ve felt inundated from seeing the trailers so many times. I’ll probably end up catching one or the other eventually. Like you, I considered Roma and The Favourite the best of the nominees but it didn’t surprise me in the least to see the prize go to Green Book.
Duane—
Sorry your normal Oscar night was upended, what with your daughter and son-in-law relocating east. I would have loved to have you with us, but know it would be more than a stroll down the block. Yes the Olivia Colman win will surely go down as one of Oscar’s greatest and most welcome wins. Geez, the whole world fell in love with her after that speech too! And I can’t at all deny Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper really had chemistry in the performance of the year’s best song. I was perhaps the only one in the universe who preferred “Where the Lost Things Go” from MARY POPPINS RETURNS. Ha, every member of my family disagrees with me. As to GREEN BOOK, I never bought into the naysayers’ arguments that the film was dishonest or that it was racially provocative in a bad sense. I totally agree with the always articulate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who thought the criticism of the film was totally misguided. That said, it did NOT deserve to win BEST PICTURE. I liked it but didn’t love it. Schrader should have won the writing award hands down. After ROMA and THE FAVOURITE, I’d place BLACKKKLANSMAN as the most deserving BP winner. Then in fourth and fifth place of the eight for me would be GREEN BOOK and BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY with A STAR IS BORN, BLACK PNTHER and VICE (three films I did not care for) holding up the rear. Thanks again my friend! If you are interested in publishing your Best Films of 2018 list here at WitD the red carpet is out to you!!
Great photos of the party! Sounds like you need a bigger location next year!
Peter, you do make a good point, but it will be difficult to move away from this regularly-approved spot. Have a great weekend my friend!