Morning, Mick: Which films would you award the highest Oscars to, for those who may embrace all movies launched in 2023, not simply these truly nominated?
Paul Sheinfeld, Novato
Morning, Paul: I might give greatest actress to Carey Mulligan (“Maestro”), with an honorable point out to Florence Pugh (“A Good Individual”).
I might give greatest actor to Jeffrey Wright (“American Fiction”), with honorable mentions to Nicolas Cage (“Dream State of affairs) and Andrew Scott (‘All of Us Strangers’).
For greatest director, I’d give the Oscar to Justine Triet (“Anatomy of a Fall”).
Within the supporting classes, actor would go to Robert Downey, Jr. (“Oppenheimer”), with an honorable point out to Jonathan Majors (“Creed III”); and actress would go to Sigourney Weaver (“Grasp Gardener”), with honorable mentions to Claire Foy (“All of Us Strangers”) and Julianne Nicholson (“Dream State of affairs”).
As for greatest image, it’s difficult. I feel “Anatomy of a Fall” is the most effective film of the 12 months. However as I stated earlier than, when “Parasite” and “Roma” have been nominated, the academy has a overseas language movie class (now referred to as “Worldwide Function Movie”). So it appears an unfair benefit to permit overseas language movies to additionally compete for greatest image. It’s deceptive, as properly, as a result of the academy isn’t seeing each nice overseas movie on the market. So I’d give greatest image to “Maestro.”
Additionally, since I’m king of the world on this state of affairs, I’d embrace a few of my very own classes, corresponding to greatest efficiency in a nasty film (Patti Lupone in “Beau is Afraid”), with an honorable point out to Carey Mulligan (“Saltburn”); greatest actress in a great however not nice film (Penelope Cruz in “Ferrari”); and greatest actor in a great however not nice film (Jamie Foxx in “Burial”).
Expensive Grasp Mick: I noticed “The Holdovers” final evening, a pleasant little movie, nevertheless it will get a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. I consider movies like “The Godfather” or “Casablanca” getting graded like that. “Oppenheimer” is one other instance, an honest movie getting a 93%.
Robert Freud Bastin, Petaluma
Expensive Grasp Robert: You’re not Rotten Tomatoes in the best method. The overview aggregation web site tells you what number of critics preferred one thing. If 97% of critics preferred one film, and one other 97% of the critics completely beloved one other film, they each would have a 97% Tomatometer scores, although critics overwhelmingly think about one film to be good and the opposite nice. The Rotten Tomatoes rating is just a mean of approval or disapproval of whether or not critics, on the entire, thought a film was good or dangerous, and it’s helpful for that motive.
Metacritic, then again, averages precise scores and provides Metascores. On Metacritic, “The Holdovers” is at 82, “Oppenheimer” at 89, and “Casablanca” and “The Godfather” are at 100.
Expensive Mick LaSalle: Your overview of “What Occurs Later” is so a lot better than the film you praised. It was a pleasure to learn your overview and a ache to see the film. It took me a number of tries to see the entire film — and but, you noticed it twice! May you give examples of the wit in “What Occurs Later?” Or of the characters’ maturity?
Tina Martin, San Francisco
Expensive Tina Martin: You’re speaking concerning the Meg Ryan-David Duchovny film about former lovers who run into one another in an airport after 25 years. It’s not a witty film. It’s not about intelligent dialog. And the characters aren’t all that mature, besides within the sense that they’re fairly outdated by romantic comedy requirements. The attraction of the film for me is that I believed that these two individuals had been collectively, and the actors made me spend money on their relationship.
I’d wish to see a sequel, however I’d advise you to skip it. Not every part is for everyone. There are good films I don’t like, and so-so films I do like. However I do suppose “What Occurs Later” is an excellent film.
Have a query? Ask Mick LaSalle at mlasalle@sfchronicle.com. Embody your title and metropolis for publication, and a telephone quantity for verification. Letters could also be edited for readability and size.
