118: Top 10 Films of 2023

Thank god 2023 was a great year for film. As Alex and Nick list their favorite movies of the year, stray topics include “Barbenheimer” domination, Leo’s Oscar chances, Bella Baxter as an all-timer character, “Fair Play’s” sleeper success, and the little Christopher Nolan movie that could.
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Transcript

0:09

Hey, everyone. Welcome to. What are you watching? I'm alex witt. Throw it. I'm joined by my best man, Nick Dostal. How you doing there? Ernest Burkhart. you son of a bitch. my God. That's not fair. That's not fair. You ruin the year. All right, We got to provide a little insight, and. I guess maybe we'll get to it. I don't know. We'll get to it. We'll get to All right. Eventually. Eventually, I guess we'll say I'm not happy with all of the movie characters that you could have gone with that you gave me that one. I only did it because we talked about it recently. Yes, we will. We'll get there in one fashion or another. But top ten films of 2023, I can't believe it. Here we are. What Arrive. Since we've been doing this podcast, it has been harder to do these specific episodes than ever. Like, we didn't get to do a top ten of 2019, which would have been No, that was an embarrassment of riches. We started this shit right in the worst year movies possible because yes, there was a global pandemic on and on. But I will say that in the last three top ten lists that we've done, top ten of the year, you know, 20, 20, 21, 22, it's been a bit of a struggle to maybe come up with ten films that I'm giving my full endorsement on, just ones where I'm like, I'm going to watch these forever. I'm going to love these forever because I go back and look at those lists and I'm like, Shit, I only saw that once and you know, I still stand by the list. But my point is this is the first year that we've had this podcast where it was not a struggle to come up with a top ten. And actually I was I had a few that I had to cut and I went, we're only doing ten. Like I got to cut down. And that's a really good thing. So this is a this is a really good movie year, the best new movie year we've had by far since we started the pod, I believe. I believe. I completely agree. I believe I do. I believe I, I think I, I am not happy with some of the cuts that I've actually had to make. I've had to I had to make a list that I felt was true to me. And that meant that some things had to go. And I don't like it, but that's a good problem to have because we'll still talk about those movies. I'm prepared for anything on a nick. So top ten, as you should be, Master was one that you, you know, crushed me with top ten of 1980. Hell yeah. That was great. What a what a fun watch that was on Amazon. I watched it like that weekend. Mark Singer killed it in that movie. So. So I'm prepared for anything. All right. 2023. We did not talk about this. We have not shared just because we are friends. You are going to have an idea of what's on my list. I'm going to have some idea of what's on yours. If you've listened to the podcast throughout the year, you're going to have some ideas of what's going to be on our lists and maybe even the order, but we have not specifically talked about it. That's what makes it fun for us. So I bring this next thing up tentatively because the only narrative I have for the year is was the narrative of the year. It was a monoculture movie narrative, which was that Barb and Heimer came out and took over for for a weekend, a week, a month. It dominated the whole year. And I just wanted to highlight that because one of those movies is not going to appear on my list and it would just be good to kind of say, I'm not going to be on your list. Yeah, right, right. I've had a total I mean, God, I've just had a total talk about about face. Jesus Christ, what a piece of shit. You know, one of those movies is not going to be on my list, and that's not to slight it at all. And we don't have to dive deep into it. I'm just saying, I really loved Barb and Heimer as it was happening. I got to actually have a barb in Heimer day that weekend, that Sunday with my aunt, which was great. And I got to engage with people about movies that I either never had or hadn't within years. And it was a lot of fun and a lot of that. Yes, was because of Barbie, if anything. Honestly, I think what was helped most in all of that was Oppenheimer, and I don't think that was the initial I don't think that was what was anticipate it by anyone, especially Nolan. But I think a lot of people made it a thing, a lot of people who would have never gone to see Oppenheimer went to see it. Barbie's not box office numbers were definitely bigger, grossed $1,000,000,000. It's a huge movie, but I bet it still would have grossed$1,000,000,000 without Barb and Heimer. Maybe I'm way wrong. I don't know. But I'm all respect to both movies. I can't believe it worked out. Keep in mind, the only reason that happened is because Warner Brothers, which released Barbie and they would not relinquish the release date. Oppenheimer had the release date first, and then Barbie came along and it was supposed to be a fuck you that turned into a multibillion dollar woo hoo! Yup. It was something of the likes that you just don't see today in movies unless you're talking about, you know, something like the Marvel movies, like that brand new Marvel movie. But but even then there's no competition that. Yeah, that movie, if if a marvel movie is coming out, that's the only thing people are going to see like that month. And the craze that that brings is this very specific fandom which has earned its reputation over the last Jesus over 25 years. Yeah, 15 is about when it started in Marvel. Finish your point with Marvel's an interesting thing to bring up in 2023 as well. Yeah, it is. Yes, but you're talking about this barb and hammer craze, which I do think that is Barbie is responsible for. Yeah, I think Oppenheimer would have done just fine, but I don't think it would have done the numbers that it would have done if it wasn't met with this right thing. But you're also and we talked about this, but it's worth mentioning, again, two original movies, these were not I mean, they were based in other things like Mattel and then the American Prometheus, like their source materials here. But you're talking about two movies that had no franchise, no Barbie might become one, but nothing leading into those two original movies. And I can't remember the last time we saw that. I can't either. My last slide was you just mentioned it. I was not going to mention this, but this 2023 was the definitive year that the tide has turned on the comic book movie on Marvel, on all of that stuff, because the fans just didn't like their releases. I don't know all the names of the movies. I apologize, but we have talked about a little on Mike. But, you know, that has been the number one thing in film since basically 2008, since the first Iron Man, at least not saying that was the first superhero movie or comic book movie, but that's what started this whole craze. And I think that may have broken and I don't know how I don't know if comic book movies are going to dominate the industry anymore. We're going to see. But they aren't right now and they have for the past 15 years. So I don't know, it seems to me from a very, very outside perspective looking in is that it seems like everything's changing. Yeah, it seems like the the casts that people have fallen in love with are winding down. Yeah. Do we really want to start this whole entire thing over for another 20, 30 years with the brand new? I don't know. I don't. I don't think so. Yeah, I don't think so. We're again, we'll see. And I'm not saying though, they will still make and release those movies every year, but I don't know if that's what every studio head in Hollywood is going to be, if that's going to be their main profit margin going forward. I don't know. But I do feel the tide turning and I have not felt that I'm I have not felt this like comic book craze slowly dying down, that tide turning and since 2008, genuinely, I guess the question is, is that I feel the same way, but I don't see anything on the horizon. I don't see, yeah, what could take it over, right? Yeah. Yeah. Hey, wouldn't it be great if we went back to, like, outdoor cinema and they started giving like, you know, 30, $40 million to all of our favorite directors again and then we didn't have to hear about them fighting tooth and nail to get these movies made. They were just like giving, you know, giving it to them like that. Wow. Yeah. Can you imagine? That's that's what was happening when we were growing up. But I get it. Businesses change. This business model of Hollywood and film changed completely. But yeah, I mean, like a great example of this, it's on my list. I imagine it's going to be on your list and then we are going to get to the top ten. We'll stop the introduction. Poor Things is a great example of this. That's a director who's proved himself and then they gave him 35 to $40 million to make that movie. And it's a movie everyone's talking about. It's a movie that is extremely true to the director's vision, and it didn't break anyone's bank doing it, but they have they do not make those movies very often anymore because they think there's not an audience for them. And, you know, I would love just more poor things, like a lot more of that. That's, you know, well, it doesn't have to be exactly like that. But just give these really talented filmmakers a budget to do something with not like 5 million, which is not a lot of money to make a movie and, you know, just a little more to where they can attract some name stars. They'll get you some Oscar nominations. Yeah, maybe the tide turns that way. I doubt it. But I don't know. Maybe. I don't know. 2024 is going to be a really, really rough year, though, because of the strike hangover. People need to know that like there's a the wheel of production takes a long time. So stuff that's being in pre-production, being written in 2023 and then maybe even film during then, that's what was to come out in 2024. So there's going to be a lot of stuff that just doesn't come out. Yeah. And then 2025, they'll be a shitload, but we'll see. Yeah, we'll see. Let's talk about 2023 top ten. Rob Excited You want to go first? Course. I'm going to go first because that's the way that I roll. All right, all right. Again, again, again. We do this every year. We go through year as anyone who listens to this podcast. No, we do not talk about movies sometimes in the sense of like, this is the greatest movie ever. So this is why it's on here. Yes, this is very personal. This is just this is just our favorites that we like to have conversations about. Now, there will obviously be points where we will think that this was on a filmmaking level, the best movie of the year. But yeah, the lists themselves are just personal to each other, which is why it's only fitting that my number ten movie of the year is none other than Steven Soderbergh's magic Mike's last day. Buck Yeah, I had no idea where you're going to get the argument for me. I'd fucking love that movie. It's twice in the theater. it was great, because this movie just fucking Rocks is the whole goddamn trilogy does. my God, this is great. No one saw it. No one went out to go see this. And I don't think I expected anyone to. We did a whole entire pot episode of it this year. We sure did. We sure did. Episode 88. It did not get the most listens, but that's okay. That's okay. We promised the dedicated, loyal listeners that we would do it and we did it. And then we and we did it. And I regret nothing. Of course, looking at it now is this trilogy. You have three wildly different movies. You have the first one, which is a movie that everyone wanted to be one thing and turned out to be this really, really good art house movie that just happened to showcase male strippers. So the backlash of that was, Where's the party movie we all wanted? Then you get that with Magic Mike. XXL Yeah, which has some of the coolest, like choreography and some of the fun. It's like entertaining. So you just got like, you got like the beach movie, you got like the big party. Then he does this and it's nothing like any of the other two in any sort of way, shape or form. It's mature. It's it's romantic. It's it's cool. It's just it's something that just. What the fuck is this movie coming out where it is? Yeah, it's very Bob Fosse. Very like all that jazz. Yeah. And I just really, really loved it. I really thought it was this really sexy and well-done movie that didn't ask a lot. It didn't. It didn't try to be something so grandiose either. Yeah. Now there's movies that I've kept out of this list that I do think are better movies. But for me personally, I knew that this movie was going to be in my top ten lists when I saw it in February. Yeah. And I go, There's no way. It's not going to be. I have to give this movie the love it deserves. So everyone goes, See all the Magic Mike movie. Yeah. And finish with this and tell me that it's not on yours. Exactly. They're just fun movies. God. Yeah. Again, no complaint for me at all. This did not make my list. It is an honorable mention. Not like usually Soderbergh movie makes my top ten, but yeah, it's always a Soderbergh movie is always going to get an honorable mention at the very least, even if it doesn't sneak in there. All right, I'm going to bring it down a little bit. Of course, there's no one else who can. There's no one else you can. Cool, Cool pod. Better in late at the very end of the year, like a few days after Christmas, I travel to New York City. I usually get there like once every five years. Now I've coincidentally gone twice in three weeks and I'll talk about both experiences briefly for this trip. I went up to see a play called Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, starring none other than our beloved Christopher Abbott and Aubrey Plaza. And it was remarkable. It was such a cool experience. I'm glad I'm glad I got to do it and represent. What are you watching there? Yes, but right before that, I mean, I, I honestly while I was there, I made a bit of like a shame stay of it. So I was like texting you pictures. But you know, the film shame. I went to his apartment and the doorman was very nice and let me in and let me get the elevator bay. I stayed at the hotel he stayed at. I went to his metro station and that was it. It was great. But and but at the middle of the day, I went to the Angelika Theater and saw an absolutely fucking harrowing movie called The Zone of Interest. what? I thought. I thought you didn't like this. I know. I know. I know this. I've had it. This is like the biggest about face I've had of the year. All I knew about this is that it's a movie about the Holocaust. It's made by Jonathan Glazer, who did Sexy Beast Birth and Under the Skin, and it's rated PG 13. So I was like, How can you have a harrowing movie about the Holocaust? It's rated PG 13 theaters sold out. It's a respectful New York crowd. And the movie is, you know, seemingly nice family living their lives. You there's a husband and wife. They got a bunch of kids running around. They have guests over. There's a garden that the wife maintains. They go swimming. And you're just watching this for like a while, not realizing what is really going on. And then you come to realize that this quaint little home that they have shares actually shares a brick wall border with Auschwitz and the year is 1943. And the seemingly nice family we're watching is that of Rudolf Höss, the commander of Auschwitz. So what I came to realize while watching it is that this movie is truly about the banality of evil. It's that I mean, the biggest like TIFF or conflict in this movie is that the guy might be relocated so they might move the house. There is absolutely no discussion of thousands of people being murdered every day. So this is why I probably my reaction to you wasn't a full endorsement because like what they've done here and what he's done is someone gave Jonathan Glazer, you know, a bunch of money or a few million dollars, and he went off and made 105 minute long avant garde movie that because that's what this is, there is very little actual conflict being discussed in the terror that you can imagine from Auschwitz is all realized in sound. So you will hear screams, you will hear people being shot in the distance, you will hear fire starting, you will hear all this stuff. But it's nothing that would be gruesome enough to warrant an R-rating. It's still PG 13 and it's all like appropriate for where if you were in the house where you'd be able to hear the sounds. It's, it's really fucking out there. It's a really trippy movie. Some of the most impressive sound I've heard of the way he shot the movie was extremely unique. Apparently, he just had like five cameras locked off within the house and hidden. So most of the shots in the movie are still and there was no visible crew on set, including the director. So everyone just behaved like they were a family. They gardened, they made meals, they did all of that, and they knew where the cameras were. But that was it. You know, they weren't directed to do anything other than behave like a family. Wow. The way that I described that movie and like, this is not a suspense movie. This is not a thriller. This is not anything. And I think it could upset some people that there's no like ramifications that we see happen to these people. But, wow, what a supremely unique film. Sandra Haller, who is the lead of Anatomy of a Fall. She plays the wife. Yeah. So it was great to see her. Christian Friedle played Hoss. I mean, it's just, you know, if you've seen his other movies, you know, you're in for something really unique and strange. Under the Skin is very bizarre. I've actually rewatched those three movies leading up to this episode. Yeah, The Zone of Interest. It's something that's going to be out now. More. I cannot imagine. I cannot imagine watching it at home and keeping your attention the whole time. It's it could, you know, lose you. So but give it a shot. It's different. It does some shit at the end that I have. I could not believe he was doing it. I just in its in its simplicity. Not gruesome, not shocking in its simplicity to where you could I could see and hear people around the theater pockets of people around the theater getting what he was doing and understanding. And I was like, wow, that's, that is a move of genius. But we're talking artistic genius like avant garde genius, like think more like Steve McQueen's hunger, where, you know, you're like, looking at something on the wall and it's like this cool, like, mural, and you're like, What's that? And as the camera pushes back, you're like, that's human feces on the wall. That's what I'm looking at. Great. It's kind of like that, you know? Well, I mean, shit, man. I guess the only thing I have to say about this is next time you see a movie, just wait a couple of days before you text me about it. Yeah, because there's no real narrative to it. There's no real, like, formal structure. And that's what I thought it was going to be. I shouldn't have thought that from a Jonathan Glazer movie. So yeah, walking out of it, I was a little cold, but maybe more so than any movie this year. That thing has never left my head and it did not leave my head. And I probably should have like clued you into it. Been like, Hey, this one's kind of creeping up, but so it's like it's a ten. It's kind of, you know, I, I really wanted to talk about it more than anything. There are probably better movies that could take up this spot and that were there for a while. And I went, Fuck, I think I'm going to add zone of interest. But again, like this is because like time obviously part played a huge role in a huge part. Even the few weeks it's only been like a few weeks. And yeah, it did. It played a huge part. Not a very rewatchable film though, trust me. Trust me. Well, and I think that's something to be said too, because I like some of the movies that I've actually put on this list were for that reason, where is sort of like, Yeah, yeah, it did. It didn't leave my head. And, and that's the mark of something special, to be honest. Yeah, good films can do that. That's really when you kind of know you saw something. Even if you can't understand it at first, you're sort of like, Why am I still thinking about this? Or these sounds or images? And yeah, that's huge. Yeah, it makes me want to see it now. Yeah, well, shit, we and we do say this a lot about different aspects of film, but the sound in the zone of interest is a character. Like, I cannot imagine how much they spend on it. It really is a character, not just like the you're not just the terrifying stuff you're hearing. There's a lot of droning going on. It's very effective. Yeah, but a weird movie, It's weirder than shit. It's weird. I like weird. I like weird. All right. Number nine from you. I spent. I spent too long ago. That would number nine. All right, so this is going to be a great one. I've been looking forward to this one. I didn't know if it was going to happen or not. You have. And I'm not going to say you're wrong here. boy. But I have on occasion been accused of recency bias. Me or you know, me too. Actually, I have accused you of it. I go the other way. I am usually much harder on something zone of interest. Case in point, I'm usually this I can't remember. And then my about face will usually be like a warm up to something. You can sometimes come in really hot in favor of a movie and then I'll ask you about it a year later. And you're like, Which was that? Yeah, that's true, that's true. But this one, because just we have been texting about it and I did just finished watching it this morning, so but I still stand by it. That's fair. I my number nine is past lives. I did enjoy it. It's not it's not on my list. I don't have anything against it. I will be you know, we're not going to talk about the Oscars too much on this episode because the Oscar nominations are just in a few days. So I'm interested to see how this one does. Yeah, I this is my kind of movie. This is just it's really I, I dig like the whole what is in in in life the exploration of that to me I think is more special when it's not being said. And this movie is all about what's not being said. Like yeah it reminded me of personal things that I felt in like the younger parts of my life. So any time that movies can do this shit to me is just when I eat it up. I like the like I can live with what the movie is giving me versus like, what I'm kind of in the back of my mind getting introspective on. So I was thinking of so many different things that were beautiful in my life and the what ifs and all of that. So this movie is sort of mirroring all of that, and I really enjoyed the performances. I thought Greta Lee I couldn't take my eyes off of her. Tell you who played the the the main lead is the the actor so expressive. I just every time he smiled at her, it was as if, like his heart was breaking with every smile. Like I liked how simple it was. I liked how lived in it felt from all of the characters. So that is my reason for it being on my top ten. Good. I'm glad you got to check it out. I know you were. I know you were determined to get that one in before we recorded it. So that's good. And I don't if you were to put it at like, one or two, then I would have been on you about recency bias. But having you here like it's making, I think most people's top ten of the year. A lot of people like this. I was getting a little nervous that it could be about what the Academy would do with it, but I think it's going to be a pretty reasonable response. I don't I don't know if she's going to sneak in there. It actress maybe, But original screenplay would be their best, you know bet All right. My next one my number nine I have a feeling is going to be our first crossover and we'll see because if you liked first Reformed and he liked the card counter, you must finish Paul Schrader's modern day Lonely man trilogy with Master Gardener. I like this movie. You're raising your hands and enjoy it. I liked this movie when I saw it. I saw it in the theater and then it actually took you watching it because it's been on Hulu, like, for months. You watch and you're like, Man, I'm really digging this. And I went, okay, let me let me go back and give it a rewatch. And I went, this has to be my top ten. Like, This pig is just it's so, like, eerie. I mean, there's like a heaviness to these three movies beyond just the material. It's like the sounds that come over the top holds you like those your own to those odd moans. It's the really trippy camerawork sometimes, you know, the those crazy, like fisheye lenses that he'll use in the card counter or I mean, even when they're like floating and first reformed and then this one just those really long takes for you, like the hell's going to happen. He's like driving this car, like, what's going to happen. But yeah, I really enjoyed this movie and I'm just always down for Paul Schrader and he did it again. Like, if you like those movies first reformed the card counter, you got to check this out. I think this is a very fair time to talk about this one because this is in my top ten as well. All right. And it's only it's only two movies ahead. So I have it in number seven. So I think that's awesome. If it's your nine and my seven, this is a good time. Yeah. Yeah, let's do it. So this is this is an interesting I did the majority of my 2023 movie watching during the last week of December because I had off from work I had a paid ten day vacation, which is awesome, but I got sick as fuck and I couldn't go anywhere do anything with my entire vacation. So the reason why I'm laughing is because the whole time about like my shame adventure and yeah, you are like staying at the standard stuff. You're just like, text me. Like, I just knocked this wood off, boob just did this, and I was like, Yeah, fuck you. Are you mad? You're watching like 420 Enjoy three movies a day. You're like, brb, just watch this. Not for me. Boobs. Watch this. Yeah. What? Suck boob? it was great. And yeah, this was the your list. That's right. I honestly now looking back, have a great fondness of that time because yeah my time I spent with movies and so that's a testament to this year good or bad, but one of my absolute favorite experiences was this movie. This movie, much like Paul Schrader, is not for everybody. No, it is extremely slow. It is the slowest of birds. So if you like that, then this is for you, which is what I had a problem with in the theater but did not have a problem with. When I watch it a second time, I think maybe because I knew it was going to be slow. But I totally agree. It is slow. It's slow. Yeah, it's in first Reformed. I liked that movie a lot, but I think we spoke about this way back when. When I saw that in theaters. It was a terrible experience in theaters because it was so quiet and slow. There was a dude snoring next to me that I couldn't shake. So. So that being said, it does kind of require a bit of attention, if you like, that thing, but it's even as slow as it is. It's all intentional. Like there's no there's no wasted motion or space, right? Even when you're wandering through this garden, which I loved, by the way, which is like at least from what I was seeing, like not the most impressive garden. No, that's what was so cool. He was just so, like, into it, like he had reformed his. He had changed his life and like, this is now become this thing. But yeah, it wasn't we're not like in the Garden of Versailles or something. Yeah. Yeah. It wasn't a massive thing. Yeah. No, a testament to Paul Schrader's writing. He's so good at having whoever his main characters are, their world lived in and the people in it. But then, like, right when you think that you understood or not understand, but you feel like you know what everything is, bam, that's when he hits you with someone says something differently. Their behavior changes in a way that you just did not expect. That's exactly what happened in that movie. Like Sigourney Weaver said, one, Yes. And I said to my seat and I went, Wait, what? I was you think you're watching one movie and then you're like, Wait, yeah. Where's this going? Yeah, this is Yeah, Great insight. I love this. And this is what this movie does throughout the entire time is as soon as you think you're comfortable knowing somebody or understanding something, it will change. And then once that piece of information is either said or revealed, there is no going back. You can't unsee or unthinking or unknow what is now been revealed. And yeah, in terms of that, I don't want to spoil anything for this reason, because this is the reason to see the movie. There is a moment in the movie, it is through a reveal that I genuinely got so disgusted and appalled and shocked by that it almost made me feel sick. You can. You just don't say what's revealed. But are you talking about the taking the shirt off thing? Yes. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. It's a revelation about one of the main characters of the movie. And. And there's nothing like grotesque. There's nothing like gory, There's nothing like your eyes can handle. But the way that Schrader is setting you up. And then when you get this piece of information, it's so shocking because you're like, I did not expect to that. And now that I know this, what am I supposed to do? Exactly. And that's the whole movie. That's the whole movie. And you're watching these very, very human people deal with that. And it's fucking great. It's fucking great. I love this movie, Travis Bickle does a good thing at the end and he's valorized for it. But is that a good guy? Like, is it? Yeah. Is that good, dude? I don't know. Yeah, I don't know. That's the point of that movie. Like, that's the point. And, you know, I Master Gardener, it was just such risky material to me and was in a lot of the ways you're describing, but that I thought for Schrader he handled it with so much poise. Way more. Yes I expected way more sporting cars and these movies are so unique. And Sigourney Weaver here. is better than I've seen her be on film in years. And it's not like some, you know, huge part and it's a very still. Yeah. All about careful language and even like just her last scene I really really enjoyed her in it. She really knew what the assignment was and handled it very well. So did so did Joel Edgerton. He's he's just great. He's always great. His part was very, very tricky. Yeah. Yeah. And I think that's also Schrader. You know, he always talks about how it's all about withholding and and you can feel that restraint. And then when it boils out of him, it's so satisfying. Yeah. yeah. All right. So that was good. That was my number nine. Your number seven. But that leads us to your number eight. Yes. You know, one thing that we, you know, talk or we didn't say that I want to say about 2023, there are some really, really good movies. And then there's just like, this was a great year for fun movies, too. Okay, great. Of course, there are none of those on my list. There's this one I know. This is why. This is why you have it. This is why I mean, I. I bring up the levity. I absolutely loved this movie when I saw it in theaters. And when it came out, I was like, this might be one of my favorite movies of the year. I'll have a hard time beating this. And it's still here. And that is Ben Affleck's heir. okay, cool, cool. I didn't know that was going to get mentioned on this episode. That's great. You know, just a really light, busy time at the movies. Yeah, that's cool that I made your list. It's a supremely enjoyable movie. You know, Ben Affleck, It's got a hell of a career for himself as a director, and he's never done anything like this. I think it's actually pretty tough to make a movie that is this light and airy, so to speak, but actually still carry a level of stakes. Like Matt Damon's performance in this movie is truly amazing. And I don't I don't think I don't think Damon ever gets enough credit, even though everyone is fucking him. And I love Damon. I love him so much. Everyone knows that he's one of the top America's film movie stars. Like, he's been like that forever. But like, if you really go and watch anything he does, the weight of the story of the movie always falls on him, and he always carries it better than anybody. Like, this movie would not work. No one gives a shit about Michael Jordan's shoes choice he's going to make, Right? Right. Like this is the plot of the movie is where is Michael Jordan going to choose to take his like, image and likeness to represent this? Yeah. And yet when you're on the ride of this movie, Matt Damon is just like you are so compelled by how this is going to make this happen. This team of people that's trying to get this thing done, you're on the edge of your seat in the most exciting and light of ways where you're not feeling like it's life or death. But the stakes are that high to what you're watching and and the whole supporting cast. You get Jason Bateman, help him. It's great. I love Chris Tucker. Chris Tucker, your boy. What's his name? Kristen Cena. Yes. Your boys love Christmas. I know you do. Yeah. He's a great fucking great actor. He's great. Air is kind of the type of movie I'm I referenced in the beginning this had a $90 million budget but they were pretty open with for half of that was to pay the talent so everyone made their and this movie which is like, you know Damon, you better be given a good performance. He made fucking bank of this movie like he got he got paid. And then the other half is for production budget. So that's like, you know, if we took the talent out of it, you're looking at like a 45 $50 Million movie, but it's that mid range, mid range budget movie that made them famous. That's what Good Will Hunting is. That's what you know a lot of that some of the later Kevin Smith movies dogma like those are the type of movies that made these guys famous just let them do it again because Affleck I think his directing career, it's gone in different sorts of ways. My favorite is Still Gone, Baby Gone and then the Town. I really like those two. Yeah, he's done some a little more recent where I'm like, what's kind of going on here? But like yes let him Amazon Thank you. You gave him 90 million and you let him cook and he delivered a really just enjoyable movie. There was like nothing wrong with it. It was totally enjoyable. It's a movie about marketing that's filmed almost exclusively in like office parks. Like it shouldn't really work and it does very well. It does. And Ben Affleck's performance himself is hilarious. Yeah, he was great. He was great. He was. I like I like him doing the supporting stuff. I liked when he was in the duel, like, I like he pops in for a little bit. Not to say I don't like him as a lead like I do, but he he's good at that. I think he's handling his career very well right now. Yeah, as is Damon. I would never put you alone in a room with part of Damon. All right, So that was your number eight? Yeah, My number eight, which I. I got to say, I think it's going to be another spoiler for your list, and there's just no turning my back on Todd Haynes, May-December. Netflix. Which is truly just for the. No, go ahead. Go ahead. Do you know what I'll ask I'll ask you one question. Would you like to hold conversation on this? Maybe we can't. This is that's fine. I this is I figured I yes, I thoroughly enjoyed this much much more on a second viewing. I liked it the first time and I even talked about it on this podcast. But wow, did it just when I knew everything that was going to happen. My God, I really loved it. More on the second viewing. Well, let's hold off. We'll come back. No problem. We're going to go to your number seven. No. Yeah, we're going to go to your number seven, which was Master Gardener than my number seven, which is I know you haven't seen this one yet, but you're going to be okay. Godzilla minus one. One of the biggest sensations of the year. Movie sensations of the year. I know you haven't had a chance to see, you know, directed by Takashi Yamazaki. This got a lot of just discussion over the year. This was a huge narrative, 2023 Before I get into it, you know, I'll just make this quick. This movie has officially I'm declaring it ruined the notion of me accepting shitty CGI in movies, which these Marvel movies have just trained us to do. We're like, yeah, but you know, it's just CGI Avatar, the way water that kind of belongs in its own box. Big Jim. It goes off for like ten years and does something that's just going to be better. These Marvel movies, they're giving them 200 million to make this and it looks ridiculous. Like the latest Indiana Jones movie, He his face looks ridiculous and that when they are de-aging him. Someone on Reddit put screenshots from the video game of Indiana Jones next to the movie and I couldn't tell the difference. So it's like you're competing with video game quality. With video game quality. Godzilla minus one costs$15 million to produce and Godzilla, and it looks better and more effective than the 150 to $200 million Godzilla movies that have come out in the past ten years. The American Ones. This movie's a really good movie. If you want to go to if you want to see Godzilla just like sucking shit up like he does without really knowing like what's going on within him, which the American movies are so well, like, what's Godzilla thinking? Why is he doing this? Like Godzilla taking over and, like, being mean and being bad and it's awesome. But then I think the reason why it resonated with audiences so well and why it resonated with me is that there's some real human emotion to it, real human stuff within. The characters. I think it's our friend of the Pod, Dan's favorite movie of the year. He said he cried the whole time that he watched it, not wept, but, you know, cried. Now he wept. Let's use that word. He wept. He wept. Weeping. Baby, they are he's rereleasing it in a few days in black and white in theaters. And I'm absolutely going to see that. And this does not sound like actually it was not a simple like convert to black and white and post it went into each shot and did it. And the movie already was pretty monochromatic. It didn't have like a very vibrant color palette by design on purpose. So I'm absolutely going to see that. I'm really, really excited. And this episode will come out before that week engagement happens. So I really urge people, even if you didn't see it, go check it out. Well, maybe it's because this has been a movie that I've been trying to get to but just haven't. I'm just going to wait and just go to theaters to see the black and white one. Absolutely. Just do that. Yeah, I because I very foresee myself enjoying this movie because I've also I just I haven't heard a bad thing about it. I just like, yeah, like everyone loves this thing. That's the only reason I went, yeah, everyone can't be wrong. Yeah, exactly. The first 10 minutes. The first 10 minutes. I don't use this like, sarcastically. My jaw was literally dropped. It was just hanging open and I'm like, wow, this thing is not fucking around from like, minute one, we're going in and it's great. It's a great movie. It's so much fun. Yeah. So I'm very excited and maybe this might happen. We might have to make an addendum to my list if this keeps up. All right, that's great. My number seven, Godzilla minus one. That brings us to your number six. All right, Now, this is another one where I have a feeling this is going to be higher up on your list. Okay? Yes. And to the point where you might be upset that it didn't make my top five. We are going with David Fincher's the Killer. okay. Yeah, I know. You want to wait? Yeah, We're going to press. We're going to hold. We're going to hold it. I'm glad you made your list. That's good. That's good. That's that guy that made your list. Wait till you hear what I have to say about that movie. yeah. I mean, a fucking rock. I mean, we did a whole episode on it. I know we did, but we couldn't talk about the brute and the fight because we were, you know, we. We got to be careful. Fuck that. We're opening it up, but we're going to wait. We're going to wait. Did you know that our whole beginning in Paris was all just maps? It's like it's several different shots constructed, So he's not like, looking at anything like the whole thing that he's at the actual actor. Michael Like, it's fucking nuts, man. If you watch the making of that, it's absolutely nuts. They're like, they strung up like six different shots together. It's just and you can't tell any of that again. CGI I'm not for giving crappy CGI movies because you can do it if I never have time. And the reason never forgetting it, never going to forgive number six for me. Yes. Another one that I take my MacBook for list will see my favorite film debut of the year and that is a very recent follower of the What do you watching Twitter feed the writer director Chloe Dumont. Her film Fair Play, which we've talked about back and forth on various episodes throughout the year. I saw it first and recommended it. You saw it, recommended it. I love this movie. I rewatched it a few days ago and was like, Yeah, it still definitely hits. I love this Fairplay, This is perfect. This is my number five. So awesome. Yes. The the the straight it it's so good. The writing of this movie is like it's a great example of of good writing. The acting is on point from everyone involved it. But to me the star is the tension in which this movie builds to what it forces these characters to end up having to do in ways that you just don't see coming at all. And I have gasp more times out loud watching this movie, any other movie this year, just because when these characters do this, it's truly like it takes your breath away because they're extreme. They're extreme choices or things that people say because it's been building for so long and you can feel that tension. And when it comes out, it's like it's so human, it's visceral and it's real and it's unapologetic and it's just fucking awesome writing and then directed very, very well, very taut, as they say. Very taut. Yes. Mom said it was psychologically taut. I feel like fair play genuinely is the kind of movie we always complain that we do not have anymore. We're always like, where these movies And then she just delivered it right for us. Like right on Netflix. I'm sitting there watching it when I'm in L.A. visiting for M83 and I'm like, Dude, wait till you can see this movie, because this thing, it's got some serious bite. I mean, it gets right what so many contemporary movies about the subjects get wrong. It gets it gets everything about the modern day romance, right? The fun and carefree aspects of it, as I thought, displayed really beautifully and uniquely in that first scene. It was just something that hadn't really seen before. I was like, well, like you said, it's very human. I was like, okay, this is great. It gets the sexuality right. It gets the professional hardships, right? I yeah, I just loved all of it. And my God, does it get the arguing right? Like we did a whole episode about our favorite movie arguments that came out years before this movie was released. But Phoebe Denver and Alden Ehrenreich would absolutely their arguments would have made somewhere in our list, like either them collectively or something. And yeah, last time we talked about this movie, I actually looped in a clip of them arguing. And even like me watching that clip, I was like, Jesus, these people are just like, Go, Yeah, We've had some fans of the pod, but it's no that they watched it and that, you know, I'm not saying they're going to walk away and be like a feel good movie of the year like that. But that's okay. It's not trying to be like, what? Like and it isn't just those two arguing, like when he has his office flip out. Yeah. You talking about, like, jaw dropping or shocking or you're, like, gasping. And then her quiet resignation of dignity is so heartbreaking. Not going to see what happens. But and there's a whole family aspect to the movie that like, yeah, it lives so well in the financial world. Like, it's just a great movie. I cannot wait to see what else Cory Dumont does. one thing also is like the use of cuts in this movie. so well edited. Yeah, So. Well, I did it because, like, there's times where. Where the scene will end, and I'll just can't believe it. I'm like, We're ending on that. Like, in a good way. Not in a way where I feel unsatisfied or. But in a way like I'm craving more like. So when a scene would end, I'd be like, that was how that ended. That was how that night ended for these two. Okay. Because now you've got all of that leading up to whatever the next scene is. Yeah, because we don't know what information is. We can only imagine how much that just kept building and building. Exactly. Every time I was craving for what that next moment could be. And when you don't get it, it's just like it would either. It would either be like soul crushing for one of the characters. I'm like, my God, They didn't get what they needed at all. Or they fought so hard for it and then didn't. And it's man, it's just it's great. It's fucking great. So we did tweet about the movie and, you know, you don't this stuff just happens sometimes. It's crazy. Chloe Dumont herself liked it, retweeted it, and then began following our account. So cool. I've still been too shy to reach out, but in doing that, I looked up. When that happened. I was just researching her a little more and I found she did a criterion Top ten. And this sounds like it could be from it could be the What are you watching Criterion top ten. I was just laughing as I went on it about I mean, just listen to shit number one. Cheers. The celebration by Thomas Vinterberg, which has some truly shocking, jaw dropping, gasp inducing moments just via dialog. So it's no surprise that that's their Ingmar Bergman's scenes of marriage. Duh. Lars von Trier's Breaking the Waves. Love it. Number four, A woman under the influence. Heard of it? Yes. Number five Faces by John Cassavetes. Number six, a movie I just watched, a movie I just rewatched last night. But for the first time in 4K, Terrence Malick's Days of Heaven. Number seven, The Kid with the Bike by the Dardenne Brothers. Number 812 Angry Men by Sidney Lumet. Absolutely love that movie. Number nine Election by Alexander Payne. Probably my favorite Payne movie Number ten None other than Thelma Louise. our beloved Thelma Louise. Get out of town. I love that. All right. No, that's okay. So that works. That was my number six. Sarah plays your number five. Yup. So that takes me. It takes us to mine number five, which is going to be on our going to be on both of our lists. I don't know. We're going to have to decide. He did it again. The man, The myth, the Legend. Yorgos Lanthimos. It's four things. God, that I love this really so much. We can hold. We can hold. Well, it's up to you. Here's the thing, though. Like at this point now in our top five, I know we've got we're already holding on one, two. So. Okay, Yes, maybe we should we should just start talking about them. That's fine. We can you can. You can talk about it, but save it's placement if you want. Like not tell us where it is. that's a smart idea. We could just talk about that. no. And we need to talk about it. So much so that let's. Let's just do poor things. Let's do it. Yeah, he did it again. I mean, Yorgos delivered yet another completely singular work of strange and beautiful art. Over the last 15 years, he has quietly emerged as one of our best living filmmakers. All of his films feel like they were made by the exact same person, but they also feel like unlike anything I've ever seen. Like I know Dogtooth and poor things were made by the same person, but I don't know any other movies like this, like he has a genre in and of himself and he's one of the very few we have doing this right now. And I have some other stuff to say. But yeah, let's, let's get into the poor things talk. We spoke so much and so highly about this on our episode where we covered this because we were both just such huge fans. Yep. Kind of what you were talking about with with the zone of interest, I can't stop thinking about this movie. Every every day there's a moment that comes into my head from this movie and it gives me such like joy. I love that. Like, this truly is just like a remarkable piece of work. And you're right about Yorgos. Like, it's it's nothing like he's ever done, but it's everything. Like he does it. Yeah, it's. He's got that stamp that directors stamp of, like, style or whatever it is because. Yeah. Because there isn't anything like this in Emma Stone. What a fucking performance, man. It's the best thing she's done. And she already has an Oscar. And I like that movie and that performance that she won an Oscar for. But La La Land is not poor thing. It is. She is not Bella Baxter. Bella. I mean, the more I think about it, I'm going to talk about another movie in another performance coming up that's getting, you know, a lot of attention, justly so. But I and we are intentionally not really talking about the Oscars in this episode because, again, the nominations are going to be very soon. She's still really young like I do. I think this is our new Meryl. I really do. I think this is the new Meryl. She she's certainly on her way. And roles like this are just like, this is one of those things where once you see it, I can't see anyone else, like even the name Bella Baxter. Like I instantly know. I feel like I know that person. I feel like I know Bella. I love her. Yes, Alec. And I love how hands on she was with everything when it came to the making of this. I love how collaborative she's been for it just and then, you know, you get like one of the greatest supporting casts, like, my God, I can't talk enough about how good everyone is in this movie. And they all play these parts so well that it's just like, I feel like this movie captured lightning in a bottle. Like, it's like, I don't know how this movie works so well with its material and its tone. And it does. It's a giant, giant achievement. It's an itchy. I totally agree. It is an achievement on so many levels. We I still can't believe she pulled it off. They all pulled it off. It. Me so excited for the movie. Yes. Next. It has a lot of these same actors and watching Paul. You know, I still love Dogtooth the best. And there is there really is a lot of similarities between these two. And they make for a fun double feature because they're both like about growing up and discovering independence and rejecting the system, exploring sexual me. But where Dogtooth is so confined and limited to its space because it had such a small budget, yeah, poor things can just like soar and go up and up. And what I love about it, really unique vision and I yeah, I just loved the end of this. The end was something that has never left my head from Christopher Abbot coming in and really stealing it. But then like even down to the final shot, I yeah, I really love this. And if people remember you said this is your favorite Yorgos film. Yep. It's great. is even more so. poor things. Okay, that was my number five. That takes us to your number for. All right. And I know this movie didn't make your list. yeah. I'm talking about my sickly week in December along with Master Gardener. This was the movie. This is the one that I've responded to the most. This is the one that resonated. This is the one where I was like, I. I can't even tell you what I like about this movie. It was a purely emotional response the whole way through. I never once was not completely captivated. And even though I don't get it, I understood it every step of the way. I, I don't know. I'm talking about boa's afraid. wow. Okay. You didn't. I had no idea where that was going. Why are you asking? That is the very that was my number ten. And then I just bombed out zone of interest. So you could, if you wanted to, you could say HBO's Afraid is My 11 because it was right there. Asterisk. And they of course this is you asked me about it on the pod. I went that night and rented it and then like two fucking days later they put it on like Paramount for free. And I was like, Thanks, guys. Thanks. I really appreciate it. There's I mean, I loved it from the second it friggin started like he just walks into the therapist's office, like, drain my mouthwash again. I think that's what it was. Yes. And his therapist is like, well, that's not good. You know, I just sort of like, I'm going to love this movie. I'm going to fucking love this thing. And then everywhere that it went, I was just on board for I don't know what I was seeing. I don't know what it meant. I don't know, but I wasn't trying to figure it out. He was like, That's smart, market smart. You can't. I think there was like a baseline idea to every single scene or sequence in the movie that I took for myself and kind of just ran with. And by way of doing that, I felt like I was, in a weird way, on the adventure with even if there were things I couldn't relate to or things that I didn't really understand, I felt like I was on this odyssey, like journey. But I'll tell you one thing, man. When you get to that, that giant departure from the movie, when he's in the woods with that theater group and they're going through his life, which isn't his life, I that's where it sold for me. Everything up into the movie. I'm like, I don't know what I'm watching, but man, I'm enjoying every second of this. Then that was the part where I was like, This is fucking great. And I love, love, love, everything this movie's doing. That's fascinating because I was just going to bring up that exact same sequence and say, That's the part where he starts to lose me a little bit. Yeah, know, And that starts, yeah, it starts to lose me. And then from there, because at least on the second viewing and it was so much better the second time because I could like actually track a little bit better of what was going on. But yeah, that's where I'm like, All right, you're really digging in and becoming something different here. And it's not a it doesn't have to be a good or bad thing, but things start to change there. But yeah, yes, I have a much better opinion on it now than after first viewing and I would have given it like A, B or B minus. Nothing crazy. But now for ambition alone, it's has to warrant discussion. Even if it didn't make our list, I was absolutely going to mention it in an honorable mention because it is an ambitious film. Holy shit. The my God. Parker Posey. I love her. I love her. I mean, just. Just fucking go for it. Just do it. Like, why not your Why not? I love it. Mariah Carey. Mariah Carey came to the premiere. Love her. Who loved her? They all knew what they were doing. And you get to this end fight with the mother who it's just it's a crazy movie. And the ending is just something that I never expected. And I stayed with it the whole entire credits as it rolled. There's just the image that's left. It just hangs there. And I just sort of like, I loved this, loved it, loved it, but I can't explain why I mean, I'm sure there's lots I think it all has to boil down to, like a therapist could really kind of dig in and be like, Well, this is why you loved it. Yeah, I mean, sure. I mean, sometimes we don't know why we love the things we do. We're just so, so, so drawn to them. I That's so cool that you watch it. I like that you kept that one for me. Like we hadn't talked about it. Yeah. So that's great. That's great. Grace, That was your number four, which takes us to mine number four. This one came out of nowhere for me. It won the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 2023 and is making a huge play for Oscars. Coming out of nowhere is just in Tree A's. Anatomy of a Fall. Yes. Well, love this one. And I know you watch this. So I'm glad you got to check it out. And this is the one that I didn't put on my list. Well, it's No, it's Mike's last dance. Let's go Magic. Mike's last dance. Let's be clear. No, I get it. I get it. But that's it. Yeah, I. This is my asterisk. How Bow is afraid is yours. This is sure because I think this movie is fucking awesome. This movie is so good and that's all that matters. And this. It's all about things the same way as me. So I didn't know this until the Golden Globes, but this movie was co-written by Trina and her partner, Arthur Harari. They're together. I didn't realize that. Which makes it even the story all that much more interesting. This is a remarkably original film. I love psychological true crime. I love that shit. This is easily one of the best true crime films I've ever seen. That is not based on a real crime at all. It's complete fiction. Just yeah, the level of detail it has was remarkable to me. Talked about argument scenes when we talked about fair play. yeah, this one truly does have an all timer standalone great movie argument when it began. I'm like, is I've done this before. I know this trick. Everyone's all calm and talking in a kitchen. I know this and I'm like their way to relax for this to be anything and where it goes and they take a long time with it is shocking. And what she chooses to show and not show is shocking. I saw this movie once when it first came out in theaters months ago, and I have a great memory recall of it. And it's not even in English, which is a huge factor of the movie. Like the use of language was so critical in this film. What language? Who speaks what language? When and where is it spoken? How well is it being spoken? What are we teaching our son to speak? I think because of that tricky wordplay, I do think this is going to be a serious contender for Best Original screenplay. I think the Globe was pretty shocking that it won that. But I still remain completely and utterly dumbfounded that this is not France's submission for the best international feature Oscar this year. I don't know if they're getting greedy and they think they actually have a shot at best Picture. Their submission is a film called The Taste of Things starring Juliette Binoche. I hear it is great. It is about cooking. The preview looks very good. I hope it is good. It does not come out to the middle of February. It's very difficult for me to believe that it is as good as anatomy of a fall. But, you know, we'll see. I just loved this movie. I can't wait to watch it again, bro. They are going to go push it all the way for best picture. That's only But that's happened once in the history of the Oscars. And it was Paris not going to win. It's never. But why not? Why not go for the layup, though? Why not the next movie on my list? They have a layup and there's no lake. It's why I don't want to talk about the Oscars. We're talking about the Oscars next episode. That's my number four. And your ish number 11. Both of our fours were each other's number 11. Yes. Ha ha. Thank you. Did their no takes us right to your number three. It's the top three and all right so some movies that have been mentioned here. I'm starting to get a little nervous yet. All right. Number three. So how would you proceed? So my number three is the movie that I started way back when you put it, way down towards the bottom of your list. Yes, I said Todd Haynes made December number three, made December. So, I mean, I knew I was going to like this movie because Natalie Portman. Damn right. she's just my everything. she's greatness. She's great. I love every single thing about this. I love everything. I love the little I love this score, this melodrama, this. But then, like, it gets really deep and it gets really weird. It just continues to grow into something. And it's got these really, really poignant and profound moments. Like it's one of those movies where the the dialog and the writing just hit in a certain way where you just you're just floored. yeah. And the whole entire movie's doing that along the way. It's creating this web of complicated relationship and dealing with very taboo subjects, which is, I think, crazy that this movie is about what it's about in today's climate. Yes. So not only is it doing that, but it's not hiding away from anything either. It's actually explore luring everything in a very honest way, which I think is just a remarkable thing for today's time. I love Natalie so much. it's just she's so good. And I was not I did not expect she has a monologue in this it towards the end of this movie that I just I think that some of her best work I've ever seen her do. I don't know if she's separated right now or what the deal is there, but. they're separated. She can call me now and the window is open. Yeah, the window for it. She can call you. I've waited. Have waited my entire life. I'm sure you, Natalie, I'm free. The thing I like most, her character in this movie. And it was something I picked up on much more. The second viewing, I am certain I'm talking about the character. I'm certain that this character is not a good actress. She is hurting herself with the ego like she is as talented as Joan Crawford. But like, Yeah, Joan, honey, the real life actress Natalie Portman knows this, but I don't think it sounds like she's known for like a TV show, like a crime TV show or something. I watch that so many times. the music is a lot of fun and that's a lot of talk. And it's from a movie called The Go-between, May 1971, directed by Joseph Loosely and written by Harold Todd Haynes, and his composer Marcello Voros deliberately adapted that score from that for the Go-between. I haven't had a chance to check it out, but a lot of people are like, Man, what is this? Like? This is really weird and I love that choice because the music is really the tone setter in that in this, that and Julianne Moore's performance, you're like, Right, what's going on here? But yeah, the choices of this movie are are I mean, it's a masterclass from every and not just the actors. It's the direction, too. Like, how subtle are we about this? How subtle are we not about this? How far do we go? And what's not far enough? Because any choice made differently changes this whole entire thing. This is such a tricky movie, and for it to come off the way it does, where no one's confused by it, no one, It is a very, very precise movie for how it handles itself. Yeah. And, you know, Julianne Moore is also sensational in this. Like she has all the choices to make. And yet again, watching it the second time, I knew where it was going. I was looking at her going, you know, when you're actually talking to someone directly, I don't know if I believe a fucking thing you say. I feel you when you're like, busy with something else and you're indirectly talking about your brothers or your dad or your brothers or your dad. Yeah, all the time. But then when you look someone dead in the eye and you're like, yeah, that's, that's all that. I'm like, I don't really believe that. I believe more of this like, subconscious thing that's going think the lisp informs all of that. Yes, it's heavy material. Like if you're going to if you're going to adapt, not like legally, but this is the Mary Kay Letourneau story. A lot of it like they borrowed a lot of aspects of it without like, you know, crediting her. Yes. This is very risky material. This could go any any way. And they handled it all well, while also being funny at times. Like there's some funny stuff in this, like it's good. There's some scary stuff. Yeah. Like from scene to scene. I really didn't know, like, what's the end game here? Like, how is this all going to end? Yeah, Yeah. And what I love, too, is like, your interpretation of that. Like that. What's so cool is, like, for how specific and precise this movie is. It's really all your interpretation of it is. Yeah. Yeah. Like there's no right or wrong answer even. Very true. The ending is something that some people will think of as one thing and some people think is another and doesn't really matter. It's, you know, So that's a great take on Julianne Moore for her being like, I don't believe the things she says when she does this. Yeah, we'll never know. True. But that's how you felt with it. And that's I love that. That's so fucking cool. Same thing with Natalie. Like. Like she like the idea that she thinks of herself this way, and. And then. Yeah, yeah, I love all of that. So it's so much to chew on. They're all really good actors, but sometimes we just need actors to remind us of how good of actors they are. This is one where everyone showed up and they're like, We're going to fucking crush this. And they did. Yep, I have three left. You have two left, and I have some theories where we're going, but I am, you know, it's. It's okay. I'm just getting a little nervous. That was your number three. That was my number three. You presented that very elegant. Quite clear. My number three. Could it have been shorter? Maybe. Could it have been more contained? Could the lead actor reined it in a little more? Could it have focused more on its native characters? I don't know. Maybe. But for what? Killers of the Flower Moon is. I loved it. I watched it three times in the theater. I finished it again early this morning. Watch most of it yesterday. And Marty did it. I cannot believe the age he's at that he is able to churn out movies of this quality. If I'm going to guess, I'm going to say this is not on your list. So that's okay. Let's just talk about. It is not on my list. That's okay. That's okay. It's not that's fine. That's fine. That one's allowed to not be on your list. That's fine. Yeah, I well, I guess I should just say, like, I. I certainly do not think that this is a bad movie. No. And no imagination. No, I actually really, really enjoyed it. But I am such a Leo fan. He is the probably the biggest reason I started acting was I wanted to be like him and I wanted to do the kind of stuff that he was doing. And I look up to him so much and I just I just really hate to say that I he did not do it for me and this, this, this, this movie. So. Okay. And, and, and that is the reason why he's kind of not on my list. I had a hard time with his performance in the movie, and that's it. That's it. Okay. So that's what you told me, that he was like, kind of losing you at times and going in and out. So then when I rewatch it because I didn't necessarily agree with you, and then when I rewatched it, it certainly didn't take me off the three times I saw it in the theater. But I do think you have a point. I do think at times it's not the most consistent portrayal of the character, that that's exactly it. That's all that's all that it was. And it certainly wasn't bad, but it was enough for me to just have to kind of go over like as the scenes were going on and be like, All right. But then I the more that I thought about it, I actually do agree with Paul Schrader's take on this has nothing to do with with Leah's performance. For anyone who does know Paul Schrader's, he's gone on record as saying that, you know, the take the quote better than I do. I mean, Paul Schrader and Marty Scorsese have a long relationship but he said it's a good movie, but three and a half hours is a long time to watch an idiot. And he's right. It is a long time is right. You know. DiCaprio as Ernest Burkhart is an idiot, like he is a moron. And the first time I watched it, it was not an A-plus endorsement for me the first time I saw it, because I was like, is this guy like, Come on, dude, are you going to get it? Like, are you going to get hip to things or are you really just this dumb? And it took I read the book after my first viewing. I did some and he was that dumb. Like he was just kind of a moron. And I get it. But yes, I cannot disagree. Three and a half hours is a long time to watch a main character moron, a moronic main character, which he is. So I think maybe in just some ways I kind of felt like that lead role might have been better served. It for that type of intelligence. Like an actor that like is more dumb than he is. I got to talk shown Jesse Plemons trying to say, Jesse Plemons. I mean, yeah, because that would have been that would have been I think I would have bought it more. Yeah. You're not the only person out of this exact criticism. Like the Screen Actors Guild nominations released and Leonardo DiCaprio was not on there. And that got a lot of people's eyebrows raised going, Is this guy going to get snubbed for the Oscar? And now the tide seems to be turning. Like, would it even be a snub? Like, I don't I don't know. I don't know if he if he gets in there for actor. And I think maybe some of the reasons you're talking about could be why we'll see outside of that. Like I do want to spend some time talking because even though it's on my list, I know it's number three for you. So let's talk about some of the things that make this movie incredible. A lot of people die in this movie and we see a lot of people die. And, you know, it's it's okay. It's fair to laugh. It is hell. Anyway, this is funny way to say it. It's telling that the most memorable death scene in this movie is the quietest, which is when that mother dies. And that is so quietly profound to me. I'm sure that's been done in a movie. I'm sure if I could ask Marty, he'd be like, yeah, it was in this Japanese film from 1943 or something, you know, because I'm sure that's been done. But I, to my memory, I cannot remember that which and that's not like a spoiler, you know, just that Al, that Al coming in and then we'd see the outcome again. And just the simple I come this way I thought was so I don't know, really immensely moving and it's stuff like that. It's not like the teary stuff from the hospital bed that like, reminds me of like my mom's death. It's that, it's like that stuff that's so simple. I'm like, man, like, you're the person who made this movie has, like, lives they've lived through. They've gone through loss To understand that, that it can just be a whisper can be so much more profound. That's stayed with me. I loved that. The smile that she gives. Yeah, exactly. She look, it's a light as she is in the movie. Yeah. It's like she doesn't smile ever, but like, right. There's a peace and and knowing that this is. This is where it's all okay. Yeah, yeah, it's okay. We're. We're going home, I think Lily Gladstone, I've. I've been monitoring her career, but this is like, here I am. I hope she gets so many more roles because of this. I really love her in it. And then the last thing I'll say about the movie is that I don't want to say what it is, but I thought the last 10 minutes of killers of the Flower Moon were truly profound and have moved me to tears every time I watch it, including when I finished it this morning. There's no title cards in the in the end of this movie to tell us what happened to the characters, the way it tells us what happened to the characters I thought was so unique and so fresh while also being part of its charm was how painfully obvious it was and how painfully expository it was. That was the point. And then the final person who speaks in this scene, I thought just that was brilliant. The drone shot that the movie ends on I thought was really, again, just a quietly profound movie. And yeah, this is my number three. I really, really liked it. I actually do not have any issues with the LEO stuff you're talking about, but I acknowledge that they are. They're all right. We're going to do something. I'm making an executive decision. That was my number three. We're going to hold your two and one. We're going to go to mine. Number two all the way. Number two, baby, is David Fincher's the killer. Yeah, Talk about it. Let's do it. God, I love this movie. Hey, you don't be fucking rocks. David Fincher's the killer. God, I love this. So yesterday I, like, put, like, 10 minutes to kill, and Ali's in the other room, and I put on the fight with the brute, which is what we couldn't talk about in our breakdown of the killer. We can talk about it now. She just walks in and she's like, again, you're. She saw the movie and she's like, Again, you're watching this again. And I go, I watch this all the time so much. I don't know if this is going to get the Mank physical media treatment, which is to say it won't get one. I would to see the killer on Blu ray or 4K, but I'm just mentioning because they have they've released a lot of like making of documentaries on YouTube. I've watched them all listen every podcast, read every interview. I don't know it. I was watching it yesterday. Of course, I don't think I'll ever watch a movie more a Fincher movie, more than seven. But this is quickly becoming my second most watched David Fincher movie. Got a ton of viewings logged on Letterboxd w aiw underscore podcast follow is there? Yeah, I love it. It's not. You know, I don't have much more to say because I, I did a whole solo episode on Killers of the Flower Moon. We did an episode on The Killer. So You know, we've said a lot, but so three weeks in a row in the theater and I loved it. I mean, I've seen it now twice and. you did watch it again. Yes, I did. Watch it again. Yeah And it's kind of cool watching it for the second time, because there's the first time I was putting it together in my head. And then you're having those moments of like, that's what it is. okay. That's what he's doing. So the second time you kind of know those things. But what I like the more about the second time was how much this was not the norm for him. Yes, I was like, yeah, this guy, this is this is a really bad day. Like, this is a bad date. It's turned a bad set of circumstances and it just never really gets better. And and and the humor came through a lot more the second time. Yeah. Because I remember I told you, I thought it was hilarious. And you I mean, you also had, like, kind of a crappy screening of it when you saw it. But yeah, I think it's I mean, just so funny when I it it's it's so David Fincher's humor. It's his it is his exact dry sense of humor. Yeah, it is. And it's like it's use my favorite word. It's the juxtaposition and it's the it's the, you know, like, we're not watching John Wick right here. We're watching a guy who's very, very good at what he does. But like, I love that basically every real word out of his mouth, every time is like something like fuck shit, like he's screwed up. Yeah, exactly. And like, that's where the humor kind of lies. It's like, this is not a bad guy at his job. It's just this is what happens with everything goes wrong, right? Right. I saw I mean, they've been doing so many like variety had, you know, I should mention it when we were talking about HBO's Afraid, It Left My Mind like the R.E.M., Yorgos Lanthimos one on one is really good because those they're just normal guys. And you get to hear them speak like normal guys and they're not like weirdos. Like you might think their movie suggest. And then Carey Mulligan, representing Maestro and Michael Fassbender representing the killer for one of those one on one things. And the home base of their conversation is the motion picture Shame. That's where they're ending so many times, because that's a movie they made together. Things just like, don't get better than that interview for me. But in that, what was interesting is he said one of the hardest scenes for him was how to express any sort of love for that woman, because he goes, This character is a sociopath. So how does he fall in love then, going back and be watching those scenes? that's I think, a really interesting that he's like, okay, I have a mission. I have to go solve this problem. That's how I prove my love. I go do this thing. It's yeah, those are the scenes. Those are like the quieter scenes in the movie that I maybe don't think as much about. And I love that. Like, that's what he has to think the most about. Well, and the conviction that he has when he tells her brother like this, you're never going to have to worry about again. Yeah you know that's a great because like, I felt that in that line and I was I was always like, man, he's saying this like with a certain amount of like love behind it that Yeah. I guess to like the, like to not think about that aspect of it. This is how he shows his love is by like letting you know this will never happen again. And I like yeah basically the subtext is I love you so much. Yeah yeah. I mean he's saying that in the brothers, like I stay out of your business and he puts his hand on the shoulder and you think he's going to be like, Calm the fuck down. Yeah, shit together. But he reassures him in such way where he's like, the subtext of what he's saying is, I'm killing everyone involved in this and then coming home, and then we're never going to have to worry about any of this again. It's okay. And you're like. shit. Okay. Do like. Yeah. All right, here we go. yeah. I am glad it made your list. I'm glad you are. Of course. my God. Yeah, Yeah. No, I love this movie. Yeah. Tilda, tell on our Michael Clayton episode, she was our top. That was our top five Tilda Swinton performance. We love from that. Yeah. She's so good. I just. Yeah, I really do love everything about it. I could talk about it. I could keep going. But we. I have one spot left, and you have to now. I don't know, man. It's tricky. I. I don't know. I don't know which one you should do first. We should do year two, because. I don't know. Boy. All right, do your two. I mean, that's the only thing that's left. I'm to say it. I don't know what it is. I don't know if we're talking about. All right, whatever your number two is, we'll talk about it. That's what we'll do. But I may not be happy. No, I'm kidding. I got to say, I love this power that I have right now. Yeah. God, it feels so good. I'm sorry. I don't like your phrase. All right, all right, all right. I'm going to keep you in suspense. My number two is poor things. Yes, yes, yes, yes. Yeah. She ended up walking it off. Yes. so nervous. so if your number two is poor things and you're number one by number one has to be Christopher Nolan, it's Barbie. Yes. That would have been fucking great. You're like, Nope, it's Barbie. Wow, I did. Okay, this is unexpected. I did not know. I didn't know, like, where your head was at with it. I didn't know. Wow. Have you still only seen it once? Yeah. Yeah. I'm sorry, lunatic. I just finished it. I was watching it. I watched it right before we went. Dad called me in the middle of it. He's like, Are you watching Oppenheimer? man. Even though I've only seen it once that I did not need to see it. I mean, I want to see it again, but of course I do. But, you know, when you're in the throes of a masterpiece. Yeah, it's just one of those. I just go. When that movie was over, I just go, That's it. There's not going to be any movie that will be a better God. I'm so happy a piece of filmmaking than this. This is just I mean, Robert Downey Junior has been saying it in every single word speech that he keeps winning is that this is a masterpiece, and it truly is. I think it's a I thought this was really silly in L.A., because now that we're in the awards season, this movie came out in July. Now we're getting the billboards for everything. Sure And there's there's one tagline that I keep seeing, and I the first time I saw it, I laughed because I was like, That's such a silly thing to say right now. But then I thought about it and I was like, You know, it's probably not, not true. And that tagline is Oppenheimer, the best film of century. Well, that's what I see everywhere I can. Yeah, I'm going to touch on that. Yeah. And, and for a lot of reasons, it's sort of like, tell me something that's not necessarily not true there. And they're just they're just talking about the last 23 years. It's a cute way of. Yeah, it's cute. It's cute. Yeah. They're not saying last hundred, but I think this movie is something that I don't think people have a grasp on what it actually means yet. I think this is a movie that's I know you don't I think this is going to sweep everything at the Oscars. I think this movie is everything that it's touted to be. And then we'll even grow further in time as what it means to us as a movie. I love this. I'm just so happy. I'm so happy. This is this is great. This is great. So, I mean, fans of the podcast will know I should say, come on, this this thing, this movie's like, changed my fucking life in terms of how many times I've seen it. It's, you know, So I did just go to New York recently for the and then I did my whole shame thing. The real reason I went back the second time in three weeks was because I found out because I found that Universal was rereleasing a Oppenheimer in IMAX 70 millimeter. And I went, You know what? The best IMAX screen in the country I hear is that the AMC Lincoln Square in New York City? Why not do another trip and just go like, why not? It's so you've done everything else. Why not just do it? Branded by Ali, her best friend lives in New York. So we're going to make a weekend out of it. And that's what I did. Like, I bought my ticket a month in advance and I went to the theater. That's that's the best theater I've been to in America. It I mean, this place absolutely fucking loved movies. I'm just like, going up and up another escalator up. I'm on the fourth floor. I'm like, What the hell? You enter this IMAX room? I mean, it was bigger than the Air and Space Museum that I live next to where the Enola Gay is actually housed, where I saw Oppenheimer three times. I mean, this it was just great. And I will say AMC, Lincoln Square in New York City, that has the best sound of any movie theater I've ever heard, because I that was the 15th, the 15th time I've seen this movie in the theater. And I remember the sound never was the dialog more clear. It was just and then all the explosive stuff was great. I love this movie so much that I still have been like afraid to put on my Blu ray or 4K because I have never been able to control the film. I've always gone and just watched it. Now I'm like, All right, I'm going to put it on before this podcast. I put it on early this morning after I finished Killers of the Flower Moon. I always wake up first, so I had my Bluetooth headphones on and I have it on and Ali comes out that that's my wife. She comes out at the I don't know if you remember the scene, but it's when they're all around like the table and they're debating about all the Russians. The Russians have a bomb. You know, we need to know Germany's know what's next. She comes out and she's like, Oppenheimer, are you fucking kidding me? You're watching it again. Keep in mind, she's probably she's one of the few people alive who've never seen this movie, despite the fact that her husband's obsessed with it. She's, you know, it's all good. So she I am my headphones on, so I can't really hear her, but I always watch movies with captions on. Right. So this is the first time I'm watching with the captions on. So I have them on. She cannot hear the movie because I have the headphones on. I look at her and I start saying the movie line for line. Like as it's happening. And I tell her to look at the screen. So I'm saying like, Truman needs to know what's next, and I'm making the facial expressions that the characters will make. So yes, that's how much I love it. She thinks I'm fucking crazy. She thinks I'm out of my mind. I have the whole movie memorized. I love this movie. I'm so glad that it's your number one I'm not ready to talk about. I don't know what to do about the Oscars. I am so nervous. I'm like, people. You got to understand this has never happened to me. This has never happened to me just my favorite movie of the year. And what I told Ali, she goes, This has to be like in your top three of all time. And what I told her was none of all time, but it's in my top three of this century so far. So it's so funny that that's the tagline. I know that. But it's it's it's in the top five of this century for me. So Oscar stuff. This has never happened to me. My favorite movie of the year that so like wildly my favorite movie of the year is never the frontrunner to win best picture. It's never it's rarely even in contention to be nominated. I'm lucky if my favorite movie of the year gets nominated for best picture. It does not happen all the time. And that's okay. You were never really here. Forget about it. Waves. Forget about it like never. Is it the frontrunner win best picture? I don't know, man. This is crazy. And my brain is like, there's no way you can get this excited about it. I'd be like, It's going to sweep the Oscars. I just. I can't. I appear to be in the minority about this. No one agrees with me. Everyone thinks this movie's just going to sweep and we do our post-Oscar show. I'm either to be absolutely fucking ecstatic or it'll all just be like a huge shrug of anticipation going, I knew that was going to happen and I don't. I still don't. I don't know. I don't even know if it's going to win picture or director. I just wanted to win one. That's I really just wanted to win one. Everyone's like, relax, it's going to win both. I cannot believe that. I just can't. I hope I'm wrong. Never have I wanted to be more wrong, but I just wanted to win one of those. I you know. All right, now you go. Well, I just can't wait to win 500 bucks from you because you placed a you placed a bet on our Oscars that if I got more wins right. Than you than you give me 500 bucks, I say something and I will. I want to I'll take the bet. You know, up to to bad bet. I'll take the best bet. But it's a bet that I'll take the. Here's what I said. I will give you $500 cash in hand. Five Chris bills. If get more winners right than I do. Yes. If I win, then I get to punch Dan in the face once. Is that fair? Yes. And all I meant by that to give context is that you think Oppenheimer is like coming in heavy, like it's going to win a bunch. And I'm like, there's no way. So I don't know. Well, hey, I don't know. We'll see. We'll see. I just don't. I don't. I don't know. They they historically have not like Nolan that much, but maybe it's what you're saying. They can't turn their they can't tonight. I don't know what else they give it, but I feel like it would pale in comparison night. It just feels weird that my favorite movie of the year is the Oscar frontrunner. It's very, very bizarre. It's I've never had this going to capitalize monetarily on your trauma. Well, hey, man, if it fucking my God. If it wins those, I'm just going to be so I'm not going to be able to believe it and be like, what it wow. But yeah, we are going to get more into specific Oscar talk in our next episode is going to come very very quickly because the Oscar nominations, we're recording this episode on January 20th Saturday, and the Oscar nominations are on the 23rd. So it's exactly like last year. You're going to get two huge episodes right in a row Bing, bang, bang, bang, boom. Oppenheimer I love in Poor things. Your number two. That's great. That's great. I know you really love that. I love that movie as well. I yeah. So well, let's let's because this was all over the place. Let's, let's run through our top ten. Yeah, I'll do mine first. We had five in common. I'll do those after. All right. My number ten, the zone of interest. Number nine Master Gardener. Number eight made December number seven, Godzilla minus one six. Fairplay five. Poor things. Four Anatomy of a Fall. Three Killers of the Flower Moon two The Killer One Oppenheimer. Don't Call Me Oppenheimer. We actually have six in common. Are you yours? Number ten? Yeah. Yeah. Magic Mike's last dance. Damn right. Number nine. Pass lives. Number eight, Air Number seven, Master Gardener. Number six, The Killer. Number five Fairplay. Top five. Fairplay Number four. Bo is afraid. Number three, May Dec. Number two. Poor things. And number one Oppenheimer. It's great, isn't it? Just a great thing. It's just a great thing. God doesn't play dice. Let's talk about some of the ones that didn't make it that because I've got a giant list ones that I'm like, really? Yeah. Okay. I my first honorable mentions I had. I thought we got three really good sequels this year that I was happy by. You mentioned one Magic Mike's Last Dance, John Wick four which, Yes. And I, I went to those stairs in Paris, the Sacred Core stairs. And I just want to say that I to the bottom of the stairs and I was like, this is going to be bad. John Wick ain't got shit on me. And I have a video. This I look over to the right and there's a man in extremely in shape physically in shape, man crawling up the stairs on his hands and feet backwards. Wow. Just jacked. And I was like, What is he going to do this the whole way? And I mean, we just we were stopped and looked and I recorded some of it and I was like, Holy shit, now John Wick ain't got nothing on that guy. So that was great. And then who? My last sequel, Honorable mention Scream six. Yes, I loved that. I love seeing with you and Dan, but holy God, did the studio really fuck up the end game on this one? I love Scream and five and six, they they really botched it. It's just not coming and it's in this form and, you know, whatever. But yes, Scream six Definitely an honorable mention. Scream six was actually that the past lives is what bumped that out your past lives Damn it I had scream six in my top ten because I had so much fun with it. It was I'm so glad we mentioned that. I actually want to say the same thing about John Wick. I did not think I was going to like that movie just because I'm just overall pissed that it wasn't a singular movie. But I'm I'm over it. I'm over it. They they, they've been fun. They they're in the desert now and things like that. I did think John Wick four was just a absolute blast and and very well done too as a movie need. I had a really hard time with. No, you Did you said that You said that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mentioned that one in that review episode. I'm glad you liked it. Yeah. It was exactly what it would you think it would be, but that doesn't take away from the fact that, like, I had like a really compelling time with that movie and I thought it was very cool to talk about the hold overs. Yeah, let's do it. Tell me about it. There's going to be an Oscar movie and it didn't make either of our lists and. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think from top to bottom, it's good. Just good. Same. That's a shrug. Good. What is so funny about this is that I have cooled off on Alex her pain. I would honestly say pretty significantly in the past two decades because his first three films I really like. And so I was not expecting much from this. And I've talked about how I still think the trailer for that movie is quite bad. And I was surprised that the movie still a little bit more for me than I thought. I was like, okay, that was that a good movie when I was expecting it to be potentially bad, whereas you turned it on and I think you were expecting it to be good and you're expecting it to be maybe a little better than good and it was more of a shrug from you. Yeah, that's right. We met at the middle. At the middle. I don't. I mean, he's. Yeah, whatever. No, I'm just. Yeah, I don't want to talk about too much Oscar stuff. I was all right. No, no. Another one for me that I talked about a. Few, like, passages. Yeah, sometimes. Which I really liked. Yeah. What I didn't get to mention is Eileen, which is based on a book that I love by a writer that I love. Tasha Mossberg And she wrote this movie. The movie was directed by William Oldroyd, who directed Lady Macbeth a few years ago, a really good movie. And then Autism was vague and her partner co-wrote the screenplay. This has Thomasin McKenzie, Shea Whigham, Anne Hathaway. I really, really liked it. Great adaptation of a book that I just love. So I will say Napoleon, a movie that no one really gave a shit about that. Just that thing came and went. But that battle of Austerlitz was one of the best set pieces of the year. I don't know what happened to the Apple release of that. It sounded before the movie came out, it sounded like he's like he was saying Ridley Scott was saying a four hour cut's going to be available really soon and then never happened. So. Well, let's get to the awards. Maybe it's getting to these awards again. So we're going to get into some categories here, though. What are you watching? Awards. These have nothing to do with the Oscars. These are not related to Oscar glory anyway. So it's going to be way different than if we were picking our Oscar winners. These are just our personal opinions of what we like the most. We're going to do runners up and a number one for each category, I suppose. Best picture has been spoiled and that would be Oppenheimer. What do you want to do? You want to start with the technical ones or start with Director Yeah, start with the technical ones. Maybe work your way up. Work our way up. Let's Start with best editing. So what did we think was the best edited film of the year? Do you want. We should we should go. We should go with our picks and then the runner up. Okay, so our picks first and then the runner up. All right. I understand I was going to do runner up and picks best editing. My my winner is Oppenheimer. Jennifer Lame. I really hope she wins. I've just she is. She sounds like a great hang. I have heard her on so many interviews. She does sound really great in the stuff that was hard to cut. You wouldn't think would be hard. I just she's been great. And then, I don't know, my runner up. It's Oppenheimer just kind of wins my runner. It might be Anatomy of a Fall, actually. Very nice. What about your denies the award goes to Oppenheimer. Boom. The the the runner up I would give to the killer. okay. I did love the way that was assembled. And like, of course, it's killer in plus Fincher with how crazy he is. Like, I can imagine. I cannot imagine how long that took to edit Jesus. He recorded that whole voiceover lying down. He was actually like, lying down, and they put a mic above his head. That's why he sounds so relaxed. that's cool. That's awesome, man. Like stuff like that takes a shit like that. Best score. Here's what I'm going to do. My runners up first, because best score I'd love to write to movie scores and I download it for this year into my phone. I downloaded Killers of the Flower Moon, The Killer, Poor Things. And of course, my winner is Oppenheimer. Holy God, do you want to do runner up first? It seems like you like, I think, Dalton Runner. Okay. All right. Yeah. Just like a pageant. They always do runner up first, because if you award the winner first, no one gives a shit about the runner up. You do all the things that you want to do. Well, all right, The runner up for me would be poor things because it's so weird and so and so fun. And then the winner goes to Oppenheimer. my God. Fucking tear. that's great. Best sound for me. It's a runner up. And this was. It was going to be like nothing else could compare. But my runner up is the zone of interest, which that is a character that probably will would be get an Oscar nomination and it's score I think will get an Oscar nomination. Yeah that was But then my winner is Oppenheimer my two for two here sound the runner up goes to the killer and number one winner, Oppenheimer. Damn right the killer was my up. And then I just thought about sort of interest, and I'm like, You really got to. The killer does sound good. Does what he does with sound. That's why editing. Yeah. It's so unique. best cinematography. My runner up is Eric, Mr. Schmidt, the killer. And my winner is none other than Hoyte Van Hoytema Oppenheimer, who I really hope is going to get an Oscar this year. I don't. I don't know. Please. my God. So this is my, my, my runner up is a movie that's not on my top ten. cool. The runners up is Killers of the Flower Moon. yeah, Yeah. Looked great. And then my winner is Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer is fucking crushing here. You're this Oscars here. The Oscars are right. There are. It's screenplay. I did I forgot I didn't break down into adapted or original. That's. That's okay. We can just give it. Yeah. Yeah. I think if I went with adapted I probably do poor things because I really liked I haven't read that but I liked that adaptation and then original I would probably do Anatomy of a Fall so I don't have original or adapted either. I just said, Yeah, it was a runner up in a winner, so my runner up is made and and then my my winner is Anatomy of a Fall. okay, cool. Cool. Yes. So my I mean, my original screenplay winner, Anatomy of Fall. Wow, that's great. We're very aligned this year. I just like and I know there's a difference in that whole screenplay thing about, like, what actually translates to the movie. That's what constitutes like a really good screenplay. But because I come from the world of theater, I'm just all about the writing itself, like, like characters and how can we get how like, like an anatomy of a Fall is just so friggin well-written. It's crazy. It's just it's a sublime example of what good writing should be. And I also think the same thing about May-December. Yeah, I love it. Supporting Actress. Tough here. It is tough. She's not going to spoiler. She's not going to sneak in for actress. So maybe a little bit of a cheat. But my runner up was Sandra Haller for the Zone of Interest because when I was watching that movie, she was the only thing I could latch on to for any sort of clear narrative, like what's going on here? You're the only thing I can engage with. It was just a hell of a year for her. Yeah, like her. My winner and I did have to. Look, if this is the correct category, this is how they're running in the Oscars. My winner for best supporting actress would be Julianne Moore. May-December. Yes, I so my my runner up is is actually Joy Randolph who okay. Sweeping everything she's she is a lock she was by far and away my favorite part of that movie Same here of the holdovers we're talking about yes and I and I do think that that she's just absolutely great in it. But the supporting actress winner for me goes Julianne Moore. Fuck, yeah, yeah, yeah. We're crushing supporting actor. This is tough. This is a tough one, but not like I know. Well, my runner up. I love him. You made me laugh my ass off is the rough Mark Ruffalo and pulled them right? And then my winner is R.D. J. For Oppenheimer. I can't help it. I love him in it. Same here, man. Exactly Yeah. Damn right. Yeah. He needs. I need about two degrees. Calm down. In your acceptance speeches, J, there's. It's a little. It's a little. I don't know your You like it in his Critics Choice Award, he has been referencing his own speeches. I don't want him to ruin his chances. That's what I'm saying. Be as excited as you want. But I don't. I don't need him getting up there and winning the SAG and being like, Yep, it's pretty clear I deserve this. And then the voters hear that and they're like, Fuck you, buddy, we're not voting for you for that. He's Robert Downey Junior. I know what I expect from the man. This is who he is. It's this is exactly what I expect. Actually, what he's been doing is actually a really reined in version of himself. I know that. But come on. I just don't want him to mess it up. That's. That's all. That's all I don't want. Oscar voters do not like. Is anyone a director they do not like. When people are walking around with an era of I have this in the bag, they don't like that. And he's a little teetering a little bit on that. Just what Jamie Lee Curtis did. So Well, last year, she was like, Yeah, I want it, but I don't think I'm a lock to win it, that there's a difference. That's all I'm saying. So I mean, all right, whatever the thing is that, that is by far and away. I think the most stacked category of it is supporting actor. Stacked supporting actor is just such a like they're all of them are great the screen actors get those nominations were weird. We'll talk about it a little more. But Mark Ruffalo not being nominated, but Willem Dafoe being nominated is very odd. And I do not hope that's what happens at the Oscars anyway. Yeah. Yeah. Best actress. This is this is really tough, folks. This is tough. Stay off the Oscars. I'm doing my personal choice. My runner up for best actress is Lily Gladstone in Killers of the Flower Moon. And my winner is Emma Stone as Bella Baxter in Poor Things. Yep. This is actually very, very tough for me to have my runner up not be my number one here, but my runner up is Sam Lily solidly Natalie Portman and made it. Wow. I thought she was going to be your winner. Wow. No, it's got to go to Bad Baxter. Emma Stone. Damn near fucking crushing this man. We're. man. But this isn't going to be the same, though. I guarantee it. Best actor? No, probably not. My runner up is Michael Fassbinder in the Killer? I'm the only one who would ever say that they're my winner. Surprise, surprise is Kilian Murphy and Oppenheimer. The question I want to ask is, do you think the killer will get a single Oscar nomination? Anything, sound, anything? I think it might. I think it might get something for sound or editing. I think you might begin for sound. Yeah, I hope so. That would be great. I used to think not, But yeah, that was my question. All right. Yours. As much as we have talked about this movie and, dunked on it. I won for best actor is Bradley Cooper. Okay. Okay, I do. Very good. I do think that he delivered a very, very, very good performance. And then the winner is Killian Murphy. by far, in a way, I'm just saying it right now. That is a next level performance. It holds up under 15 and a half because I felt the finish my 16th doing it. It holds up to that level of scrutiny and he, him, whatever. I'm not going to talk about Oscar yet. Whatever. It's it's all good. Yeah, yeah, good. We'll see. We'll see it move in safe. Keep moving. That's it. That's it. That's all we got. We got. We got best director. it is. Christ, Idiot. I am engaged in research. All right, Best director. My runner up is the great Yorgos Lanthimos. Poor things. My number one is Christopher Nolan Oppenheimer Sames is why. Jesus. We're really aligned this year. So that's it. That's what we think at 2023. I love it. I mean, we're going to I'm there's still some stuff up in the air for nominations. Like I don't know if Leo's going to get nominated. I don't know. I don't know. I think it's funny to track Oppenheimer's screenplay chances. I don't know if it's going to get nominated. That's the only one. That's the only one that I people. Fun of it. Yeah. Yeah. That's the only one that I don't even know if it'll be nominated. And if it is, I don't know if that would win, but I agree. But outside that one category and maybe actor but we'll talk about that later. Yeah. I mean hey that's where I was really, really nervous when the first shortlist they released was for Visual Effects and Oppenheimer wasn't even listed on it and we did talk about it. I think a lot of people just get confused. They think visual effects mean CGI, which it doesn't. It can mean that practical like explosions and stuff. So that made me nervous. But it's been on every subsequent shortlist like score and sound and cinematography. It doesn't mean it's going to get nominated, but, you know, I'm like, okay, maybe they're in the right way. We'll see how many will get nominated for, I don't know. On the up on our Oppenheimer Update episode, I theorized that is it going to be one of the all timers who gets nominated for the most? I don't think it's going to I don't think it's going to score quite that high. But we'll see. We'll see. Yeah, it's going to be an exciting Oscar season. I just get nervous when. A frontrunner is a movie I like so much. It makes me so nervous because all I see is URL's. I'm thinking as we got to a month and a half, two months of backlash, know that could happen. But we'll we'll see. I mean, that was great, though. That was a lot of fun to record. I like your list. I liked it, too. Our personalities are built into our lists. It's great. 400%. What are you doing? Here we go. Now we get to the best part of the show. What are you watching? The. What are you watching? What's the best? This is it. Yeah. I have to wait first if you want. Yes, yes, you go first because you won't be able to top most. I probably won't. Probably won't. This was my first honorable mention. Like it doesn't necessarily mean it would be my 11. It's called the Artifice Girl. And it was a small budget movie directed by a guy named Franklin Rich. It's on VOD. That's how I found it. And it's basically about a guy who figures out how to use a technology to catch child predators. It's a it's a small movie made on a budget. Lance Henriksen is probably like the biggest name in it, but he's not in it for long. And this is something I wanted to recommend I always want to give. So we've talked about huge movies on this episode, and that's like a small indie one, something you could see being nominated for like the John Cassavetes award at the Indie spirit, you know, something like that. I really enjoy it. It takes twists and turns and if you want, like a thriller, I started watching it. Actually. You did? I did. Why did I mention it? Yeah. Yeah. And ah, in your, in your a big breakdown of, of, of the movies of the was streaming. Christ. Our channel. You remember. I knew I talked about it, I was like, I know I've talked about this movie but I had to check if I recommended it in. What are you watching it. I knew I talked about it so yeah that's what is it available for free somewhere or did you have to rent it. Yeah. It's, it's on voodoo or. okay. Again. So there you go folks. Go check. That's what I would recommend. I mean, out of every other thing we've recommended today. All right, Now, this movie that I'm recommending right here? This movie would be my number one. It would be Oppenheimer if it could. There is no better moviegoing experience I've ever had. Ladies and gentlemen, I really Taylor Swift. The Eras tour. That is the movie to see. You can rent it, have a party, Get ready to have your life change. Oppenheimer changed Alex's life. He changed mine. my God. I really appreciate you saving it for this section. that's great. That's great. You almost. God. I was so I So my biggest crux of the whole entire thing was putting it at number one, and I would. But it's not really a movie, so I can't. But it is a What are you watching? Recommendation V What are you watching recommendation of 2012? 2023 is Taylor Swift's 2023 wow. wow. It you've had a good time. That's great. It's great. What fun episode. What's left? We will come back with an Oscar nominations episode. We'll come back with, you know, like a month after that, what we think are going win what performances, you know, I mean who knows? And then, of course, we will do the coveted post-Oscar Oscar show directly after the Oscars. Hey, maybe this year will do a Oscars commentary. We'll do it live and we'll look for our episode. that's kind of funny to think about, actually. By the way, though, who's coveting that episode? I don't know. I don't know or not coveting, But our our our highly anticipated, I think, is what you're looking for excited to good year all love to Leo. We know he needs it right now obviously love no love let us know what you like this year. Let us know what you didn't like on Twitter. Instagram letterboxd at w aiw underscore podcast. But as always, thanks for listening and happy watching. Hey everyone. Thanks again for listening. You can watch my films and read my movie blog at Alex Withrow dot com Nicholas Dose Dotcom is where you can find all of Nick's film work. Send us mailbag questions at what are you watching podcast at gmail.com or find us on Twitter, Instagram and letterboxd at w aiw underscore podcast. Next time we'll break down the 2024 Oscar nominations and wow, am I nervous? What's going to get in? What's going to get snubbed? Stay tuned.