A Real Pain Juror #2

[00:00:02] What you want, when you want it, where you want it. This is The MESH.

[00:00:10] What you want, when you want it, where you want it. This is The MESH.

[00:00:18] Footcandle Films. Film news and reviews from two guys who really like movies.

[00:00:25] This episode is brought to you by the Footcandle Film Society.

[00:00:29] For a schedule of upcoming screenings and membership information,

[00:00:33] visit the Society's website at www.footcandle.org.

[00:00:42] Hello everyone and welcome to Footcandle Films here on The MESH.TV podcast network.

[00:00:49] My name is Alan Jackson. With me is Chris Fry,

[00:00:52] we of the Footcandle Film Society and the annual Footcandle Film Festival.

[00:00:57] Chris, how are you doing today post-Thanksgiving?

[00:01:00] We're back from the holiday. How is everything?

[00:01:03] So Thanksgiving came, I guess, you know, calendars. Who needs them?

[00:01:09] But we do have them and it came later this year.

[00:01:12] It did.

[00:01:12] So all of a sudden, like, Christmas is in full swing

[00:01:15] and I'm already like under the gun about trying to get stuff lined up to get presents ready.

[00:01:21] So it's like, dude, I am really giving of my time to be taking this time today to sit here and review the movies.

[00:01:28] Oh, well, we appreciate that, Chris.

[00:01:29] So that is my gift to our loving audience.

[00:01:31] Everybody thanks you immensely.

[00:01:32] I don't want to time out because, yeah, I was just like, dude, no way.

[00:01:35] It's like already because I guess normally it falls a week earlier.

[00:01:39] So you kind of have a little bit of a buffer.

[00:01:40] Yeah, you have a few days afterwards before you start to see that December 1 pop up on the calendar.

[00:01:44] But I was not huffing and puffing, groaning because of the idea of Christmas is coming.

[00:01:49] I'm not a Grinch. I like Christmas.

[00:01:51] It's just the fact that the entire month of December is all we're going to hear and think about and talk about now is Christmas.

[00:01:57] And it's just it's a little much.

[00:02:00] And yes, it did come very quickly after Thanksgiving.

[00:02:02] So I'm with you on that.

[00:02:04] A slide aside, which I will try to remember to update because I'm sure all our listeners are very concerned about it.

[00:02:09] Yes.

[00:02:10] I've got a game for myself this year.

[00:02:12] How long can I go until I hear Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You?

[00:02:16] So far, I've been successful.

[00:02:19] The reason I'm doing this specifically.

[00:02:33] Don't go to any stores or anything.

[00:02:35] So we're December 2nd and I haven't heard it yet.

[00:02:39] Just avoid Target or Walmart or any other store that might be playing Christmas music in the background.

[00:02:45] I think that's your worst case scenario.

[00:02:47] I said I have a lot of shopping to do.

[00:02:50] So that's going to be tough.

[00:02:51] Maybe I'll wear AirPods.

[00:02:52] You go to stores to shop?

[00:02:53] Really?

[00:02:53] I do.

[00:02:54] I do.

[00:02:55] That's so sweet, Chris.

[00:02:56] I know.

[00:02:56] It's so like 1980 of me.

[00:02:58] But yeah, a lot of times I do try to go to stores.

[00:03:01] Look, I will admit it.

[00:03:04] I made my giant Amazon queue last night and today we'll be hitting the button to get that all ordered.

[00:03:12] And I think Christmas is done.

[00:03:14] Wow.

[00:03:15] So that's the way I like to play.

[00:03:17] Look, I love local stores.

[00:03:19] I will still be visiting some local stores for some specific things I need to get.

[00:03:23] But the stuff I could have gotten from a big box store, I'm totally fine doing online.

[00:03:28] Gotcha.

[00:03:29] That's where I am.

[00:03:30] Okay.

[00:03:30] What are we here to do?

[00:03:31] What are we?

[00:03:33] Movies.

[00:03:34] That's right.

[00:03:34] That's right.

[00:03:34] Yes.

[00:03:35] We're here to talk about movies.

[00:03:37] Oh boy.

[00:03:37] And this is, of course, the time of the year where Chris and I watch a lot of movies because

[00:03:41] we have a lot to catch up on and a lot of screeners to watch.

[00:03:44] So we will be discussing two films during today's show.

[00:03:47] Kind of giving you a little double bonus here of movie reviews.

[00:03:51] We'll be reviewing the film from writer and director Jesse Eisenberg, also actor.

[00:03:57] But in this film, he gets to play all three.

[00:04:00] And it is the film A Real Pain, also starring Kieran Culkin.

[00:04:05] So we'll be reviewing that film first.

[00:04:07] And then we'll be moving into a review of the latest film from director Clint Eastwood.

[00:04:13] Interesting.

[00:04:13] We didn't plan this, but two films directed by actors or people who have been commonly known

[00:04:19] as actors.

[00:04:20] Of course, Clint Eastwood has been directing movies for, gosh, at least 30 some years now.

[00:04:25] We'll be reviewing his latest film.

[00:04:27] Could it be his last film directed?

[00:04:30] That's what I'm hearing rumors of.

[00:04:32] Juror number two, which is going to be starring Nicholas Holt and Tony Collette.

[00:04:37] So we've got those two films to review.

[00:04:39] Then we're also going to be going into just something we've been doing the last few weeks

[00:04:43] is we're going to be doing a little Oscar predictions here towards the end of the year,

[00:04:48] just to kind of see where the mood is shifting right now on some different categories.

[00:04:53] Today, we'll be discussing the male actor categories, the actor and supporting actor categories.

[00:04:59] We'll be going over varieties, current predictions for those categories and giving our own take on those.

[00:05:06] So, Chris, are you ready to get going with our first review?

[00:05:09] Yeah, let's do it.

[00:05:10] All right.

[00:05:11] Here's the review of A Real Pain.

[00:05:16] Dabers and I are cousins.

[00:05:19] We used to be joined at the hip.

[00:05:20] Our grandma is from here.

[00:05:22] So Dave arranged for us to join this geriatric Polish tour with you fine people.

[00:05:28] I really needed this man.

[00:05:30] I know that it's tough for you to leave your boy.

[00:05:33] I don't really have anything going on.

[00:05:35] I know it's been a tough few months for you, so...

[00:05:37] I also want to say that I know you're not the most comfortable person with people.

[00:05:40] I'm not?

[00:05:41] No.

[00:05:41] Does it look real?

[00:05:42] Well, they're twice the size of you in metal, so...

[00:05:44] You sure you don't want to come up here?

[00:05:45] I'm good.

[00:05:45] Can you take my picture?

[00:05:46] That's what I'm talking about.

[00:05:48] Merchant.

[00:05:48] Thank you, David.

[00:05:49] But it's amazing that you're here, putting yourself out there so boldly for me.

[00:05:53] Thank you, man.

[00:05:54] Let's go smoke a joint.

[00:05:55] Word of warning.

[00:05:57] This will be a tour about pain.

[00:05:59] Our grandmother and Benji were super close.

[00:06:01] I mean, she was the coolest.

[00:06:02] I've just been in a real funk, I guess, since she died.

[00:06:06] Just haven't...

[00:06:13] A Real Pain follows mismatched cousins David and Benji reuniting for a tour through Poland

[00:06:19] to honor their beloved grandmother.

[00:06:21] The adventure takes a turn when the pair's old tensions resurface against the backdrop of

[00:06:25] their family history.

[00:06:27] Entering the theater for Jesse Eisenberg's sophomore directing effort, following up on

[00:06:32] 2022's When You Finished Saving the World, which he directed and wrote,

[00:06:35] I was curious how much, if any, of Roman Roy would seep into Kieran Culkin's irritating

[00:06:41] cousin character, Benji.

[00:06:43] Did you wonder something similar, Alan?

[00:06:45] And what did you think of the film?

[00:06:47] Was it a real pain to sit through?

[00:06:50] No, it was not a real pain to sit through.

[00:06:53] Well, I will...

[00:06:55] I'm not going to say it's a real joy to sit through because, I mean, it is a...

[00:07:01] It can be a little bit of an annoying film to sit through, but that's intentionally so.

[00:07:05] You understand why.

[00:07:07] And because you asked about the question, the comment about the Kieran Culkin, did he resemble

[00:07:13] much of his character from...

[00:07:15] Succession.

[00:07:16] Succession.

[00:07:16] Yeah, he did.

[00:07:18] I mean, there was definitely some of that in there, but a very different slant on the

[00:07:22] character.

[00:07:23] You've got a lot of the same verbal mannerisms and you've got a lot of the same rapid fire,

[00:07:28] just kind of...

[00:07:29] But it's a very different character in that other...

[00:07:34] The Succession character, obviously driven by ultimately having some elements of greed

[00:07:39] and some desire for power while also counteracting with some daddy issues.

[00:07:44] There's just a lot more going on.

[00:07:46] Here, we've got...

[00:07:46] He's got grandma issues.

[00:07:48] So it's a little different.

[00:07:50] But no, I mean, it's easy to look at his performance and see and want to keep relating

[00:07:56] it to Succession because that's what he's gotten so much acclaim for over the last several

[00:08:01] years.

[00:08:01] And I think, more or less, that was really my first kind of introduction to Kieran Culkin.

[00:08:08] I know he just does...

[00:08:09] It was Scott Pilgrim versus the world was mine.

[00:08:12] Was mine.

[00:08:13] Okay.

[00:08:13] So yeah, I didn't really remember him from that, but I knew that he was in that.

[00:08:18] So yeah, that was...

[00:08:19] And it's such a strong presence in that show and such a strong character that...

[00:08:24] And when we saw the...

[00:08:25] I saw the trailer for this, I'm like, oh, that looks like he's kind of...

[00:08:28] And for me, I'll answer my own question.

[00:08:32] Yeah, I saw shades of Roman Roy, but that wasn't a bad thing because it's like...

[00:08:37] No, it wasn't bad.

[00:08:38] It's kind of like a...

[00:08:39] It was a totally different character and it was kind of like a riff on it using all the

[00:08:43] same mannerisms, but having me feel a different way towards the character.

[00:08:48] So it was really...

[00:08:48] It was really interesting.

[00:08:51] I almost wonder if the role was kind of written with him in mind a little bit because I think

[00:08:58] it just played so much to his acting style and his typical type of character performance

[00:09:05] that he gives.

[00:09:06] Well, I wonder that too, because we mentioned that Jesse Eisenberg not only is in the film

[00:09:12] and directed it, but he wrote it.

[00:09:14] And then some trivia that I saw online was Benji and David do visit the grandmother's

[00:09:19] home in Poland.

[00:09:20] And that location was where Jesse Eisenberg's real life ancestors settled and stuff.

[00:09:25] So yeah, I feel like maybe this was kind of a story Jesse Eisenberg wanted to tell about

[00:09:30] trying to get in touch with family roots or somehow like process your past.

[00:09:36] And he's like, yeah, but if it's just me, that's going to be boring.

[00:09:39] Nobody wants to see that.

[00:09:40] So how do I...

[00:09:41] And honestly too, I wasn't aware...

[00:09:44] I mean, I guess I saw the trailer, but I'd kind of forgotten.

[00:09:46] I knew it was like a reuniting of people that had some tensions, obviously.

[00:09:51] I didn't realize that the backdrop was necessarily going to be like concentration camps and it's

[00:09:55] really serious.

[00:09:56] And I...

[00:09:59] We've had a lot of stories.

[00:10:01] I mean, we have things like Schindler's List and then we had Son of Saul and we've had some

[00:10:06] really, you know, important big films come out that focus on the Holocaust and the pianist.

[00:10:12] I mean, they're just a lot of films.

[00:10:14] And so I think if I had known going in that this was going to...

[00:10:19] I mean, the group that they're a part of, they're kind of making this tour.

[00:10:22] At one point, they do tour, you know, a camp, concentration camp.

[00:10:28] If I had known going in that it was going to have those elements, I probably would have shied

[00:10:33] away from seeing the film a little longer because I'm just like...

[00:10:36] I didn't know if I was emotionally ready to like be in that kind of intense film.

[00:10:41] But I thought it was interesting the way they balanced that and the way the tour group

[00:10:46] actually...

[00:10:47] I have to give a shout out to Eisenberg for his writing of it.

[00:10:50] I feel like the different members of the group all had like personalities and all...

[00:10:58] I mean, yes, maybe they could have had more of a story arc, but they were all like...

[00:11:02] I don't know.

[00:11:03] I thought they were an interesting mismatched group that somehow balanced out certain aspects

[00:11:08] of the two cousins.

[00:11:09] I don't know.

[00:11:10] I thought it was really...

[00:11:11] Well, they didn't overshadow the relationship between the two cousins, but they all kind

[00:11:15] of...

[00:11:16] It was cleverly written, I guess is what I'm trying to say.

[00:11:20] Yeah.

[00:11:20] No, I think it struck the right tone and balance where, yes, it is a, quote, buddy travel film

[00:11:31] in some aspects.

[00:11:32] Sure.

[00:11:33] An odd couple type of, you know, travel log, which that always has appeal.

[00:11:39] I think that's always an interesting film to watch.

[00:11:41] Two people that are very different personalities kind of traveling together.

[00:11:45] Yeah.

[00:11:46] That's always fun.

[00:11:47] And I think they threw in just enough family background between these two, or at least relationship

[00:11:55] background between these two to make it interesting without it being overbearing.

[00:12:00] I was a little fearful that it was going to turn into just this constant...

[00:12:06] These two are constantly either going to be at odds or constantly just all this resurfaced

[00:12:10] drama is going to come up and just overwhelm the movie.

[00:12:13] And it never did.

[00:12:14] It definitely had some moments, but it felt natural in that, yes, they had some moments

[00:12:19] where you hear some things and you learn some things about their background.

[00:12:24] And then they're back to the travel.

[00:12:26] And it's like, you know, it's human.

[00:12:28] It's real.

[00:12:28] It's like, yeah, we had a little blow up last night.

[00:12:31] Or yeah, we're a little ticked off at each other from last night.

[00:12:33] But you know what?

[00:12:34] After a few hours, okay, yeah, we're back on the trip and, you know, we're doing our

[00:12:38] thing.

[00:12:39] And that to me felt natural and real.

[00:12:41] So that was good.

[00:12:42] And then the balancing it with the other people on the trip, we didn't get a lot into their

[00:12:47] backstories and we didn't need to.

[00:12:49] They're just like if you were on a trip and there just happened to be other people on the

[00:12:52] bus and you know a little bit about them.

[00:12:55] Maybe you have a little quick conversation with them, but you don't, you know, you don't

[00:12:58] really get to know their whole life story.

[00:13:00] And there again, that felt natural too.

[00:13:02] So I just, I think it was a very natural film.

[00:13:05] I liked it.

[00:13:08] Yeah.

[00:13:08] Yeah.

[00:13:09] No, I did.

[00:13:10] I did really like it.

[00:13:11] The film.

[00:13:11] I really don't have any criticism of it that I can think of.

[00:13:16] I mean, anything that I feel like didn't really work as well.

[00:13:20] Um, I border on saying it's a bit of a slight movie at the end of the day.

[00:13:25] It just kind of, that was it and you're done.

[00:13:28] And, but it tinged on just a little bit more than that, but I still really appreciated it

[00:13:35] as a film.

[00:13:36] So that's, yeah, I think, um, I, I, I also really appreciate it.

[00:13:41] And the more I reflect, I've had the chance to see this at a critic screening, maybe like

[00:13:46] a month ago or so.

[00:13:47] So, um, but the more I've been able to sit with it and think about it, the more I appreciate

[00:13:53] it.

[00:13:53] And I think it's, yeah, it's not, it's not like this really complex story that has this

[00:13:59] really complicated plot, but it was just interesting to see the dynamic between the two cousins.

[00:14:05] And like I said, the, the group dynamic, I think, and Eisenberg again, I'm going to shout

[00:14:09] him out because he is the writer.

[00:14:10] Um, early on, you know, they, they get together, they meet at the airport and then they find

[00:14:16] their tour group and they kind of sit down like you would with a tour group and the guide

[00:14:20] introduces themselves and they go around a circle.

[00:14:23] And that's like a clever way to say like, okay, here's this couple, they're a married

[00:14:27] couple.

[00:14:27] Here's this woman.

[00:14:28] Here's a single woman who's out there trying to like find herself.

[00:14:30] And then, you know, they, they kind of go around the group and they tell, and I thought

[00:14:34] that was just, but they don't, like you're saying, they don't go into this huge in-depth

[00:14:38] thing, but it just kind of sets it so that you kind of get a sense of, okay, you know,

[00:14:43] interesting.

[00:14:44] And actually, I really liked the fact that we learned more about some of the other travelers

[00:14:49] from one of the characters who just happened to like engage in them in conversation.

[00:14:53] And that becomes kind of a character beat where we learn a little bit more about that character

[00:14:58] by the way he's able to engage with other people around him.

[00:15:01] So actually we learned more about the other cast from him, which is kind of cool.

[00:15:05] So yeah, Benji, you know, Benji and David, um, Jesse Eisenberg, Jesse Eisenberg's David

[00:15:10] and Kieran Culkin's Benji.

[00:15:12] Benji, I'd be curious to think, I think it's going into the film, you say, Oh, a real pain.

[00:15:20] That's Benji.

[00:15:22] But actually I would actually counter that.

[00:15:24] I think the title, you know, to me, Oh, a real pain counts.

[00:15:28] Like, Oh, that's kind of an irritating time.

[00:15:30] Like there's that, but I actually think the title refers to what Benji is going through.

[00:15:36] Um, and not, not Benji as a person.

[00:15:38] And I think that's what you're like, you side with David, you meet David first.

[00:15:42] He's more of this quiet reserve.

[00:15:44] He has a wife, he has a kid who, but he's, you know, leaving them to go on this trip with

[00:15:48] just his cousin and he's more, you know, understated.

[00:15:52] And you can tell he bristles at the way Benji can do irritating things.

[00:15:57] But yet he's like everybody's favorite person.

[00:15:59] And like immediately, yes, he's asking questions about the different group and he's getting all

[00:16:02] these.

[00:16:03] And you can tell David, it's just like, just like, okay, it's not about you.

[00:16:07] It's like he always seemingly is about shining the spotlight on himself.

[00:16:12] Right.

[00:16:13] But the longer the film goes on, you learn that he's really just trying to help other

[00:16:19] people or trying to like work with them.

[00:16:21] And he has this really tense episode on a train or was it a bus or a train?

[00:16:27] I can't, or maybe both.

[00:16:28] It was a train.

[00:16:30] Okay.

[00:16:30] And he kind of lashes out at what they're doing and how he feels about what they're doing.

[00:16:35] And you can tell he's making everyone else that's in this tour group very uncomfortable.

[00:16:40] Yeah.

[00:16:40] At a later point in a cemetery, he lashes out at the tour guide and you're just like,

[00:16:47] whoa.

[00:16:47] And then you can kind of see, you kind of get a read on like, okay, I can understand

[00:16:51] how David is like, this guy, this guy's, this guy's a lot.

[00:16:58] But I don't know.

[00:16:59] At the end of the day, you kind of see and how things kind of come around by the end of

[00:17:03] the film.

[00:17:03] You're like, you know, he genuinely is trying to be a good person.

[00:17:08] He has, he's going through a lot basically.

[00:17:13] And I think that it makes you be more, I don't know, kind of reflect on life and try to be

[00:17:18] empathetic with those around you that may be going through something that you're not quite

[00:17:21] aware of.

[00:17:23] Mm-hmm.

[00:17:23] Mm-hmm.

[00:17:23] So that's, yeah.

[00:17:25] So also, I think the end scene, which I don't want to spoil.

[00:17:34] I mean, it takes place in an airport.

[00:17:36] Yeah.

[00:17:36] The thing is concluding, but I have a, I'm curious and we'll, we'll give a, we'll, I don't

[00:17:42] know, we'll care.

[00:17:43] Maybe we'll discuss off mic.

[00:17:44] Maybe we'll give a break at the end of the show and come back and discuss it.

[00:17:46] But that actually kind of how that ends and my interpretation of what I took away actually

[00:17:54] really took the film, made it a notch up higher.

[00:17:57] Like I liked it.

[00:17:58] No, I think I know.

[00:17:59] So as I was sitting there and the credit started to roll, I was like, wait, so I had a, I know

[00:18:05] where you're going with that.

[00:18:06] I had a question.

[00:18:06] I had a brief moment of thinking that as well.

[00:18:10] Okay.

[00:18:11] So anyway, we'll, we'll review later on that.

[00:18:13] Um, yeah, no, I, I think, I think it's good.

[00:18:17] Um, I'll give credit to Eisenberg, Jesse Eisenberg.

[00:18:22] I mean, he, he, he did really good in casting these parts, I think.

[00:18:27] I mean, even casting himself and knowing the role that he's written for himself.

[00:18:31] He leans into the stereotypical, uh, Jesse Eisenberg character that he's been kind of

[00:18:37] known to play.

[00:18:37] And if there is a little bit of autobiographical elements to it, which I think there is, and

[00:18:42] you commented about even the, the family history in Poland and so forth.

[00:18:46] Yeah, I definitely think it's a, he's bringing in some autobiographical elements.

[00:18:52] I think you're right.

[00:18:53] I think the idea of him just going to Poland to visit his grandmother's house.

[00:18:57] And, and the concentration camps, it's not as interesting enough as a film, but you add

[00:19:03] in this layer of trying to connect with a cousin and this one who just happens to be going

[00:19:08] through, like you said, going through a lot right now and how that's affecting the other

[00:19:12] people around them, I think makes it turns it into a very interesting film at that point.

[00:19:17] So, uh, it was great.

[00:19:20] I thought the, uh, cinematography, the shots were great, especially around Poland.

[00:19:25] It was a great little kind of mini travel log.

[00:19:27] Yeah.

[00:19:27] You get a little, you get a little, get a little, uh, touristy information about, about

[00:19:32] the, but I do think the, the scenes inside the concentration camp were extremely effective.

[00:19:38] Oh, sure.

[00:19:38] Oh, just the way they were shot, the way they were portrayed.

[00:19:41] I mean, I did, you feel like you're in a private tour group visiting a, this facility

[00:19:47] and the emotion that they are feeling, I think conveyed very well across the camera as well.

[00:19:53] So, um, I was really impressed too, that they included those scenes and let them be somewhat

[00:20:00] of a pivotal point in kind of the storyline.

[00:20:03] So, yeah.

[00:20:04] Um, also a bit of trivia now, I can't find whether or not it is his son, but I think it

[00:20:09] probably is, um, in the film, David has a son named Abe and in the credits he was listed

[00:20:16] as Banner Eisenberg.

[00:20:18] Yeah.

[00:20:18] So this is really, I'm going to assume that's his son.

[00:20:20] So yeah, I think he found a way to make, or at least seemingly a very personal film,

[00:20:26] but make it universal enough that it was, it was engaging rather than just like a, you

[00:20:31] know, like he, I feel like Eisenberg could have made this a documentary about him, you know,

[00:20:36] like, you know, I'm going to go research my family and learn about my family and that,

[00:20:40] that could have been good.

[00:20:40] But instead he chose to kind of fictionalize it.

[00:20:43] Like you're saying, add in Kiryan Culkin.

[00:20:46] I think it made it that much more satisfying.

[00:20:49] Agreed.

[00:20:50] I will say, I think, uh, I mean, I know the rest of the tour group, relatively small parts,

[00:20:56] but all again, back to the casting, I think really, really good casting and just a sharp

[00:21:01] who plays James, who's the tour guide.

[00:21:03] Oh yeah.

[00:21:04] I thought he was great.

[00:21:05] He's an actor director.

[00:21:06] Maybe he's written some stuff too, but I thought he was, he's, he's, he's great.

[00:21:12] I'm most notable for me.

[00:21:13] I remember he, I think he was in the, uh, the white Lotus season two.

[00:21:18] He played a pretty, pretty big character if I remember correctly there.

[00:21:22] So yeah.

[00:21:22] Um, but yeah.

[00:21:24] And Jennifer Gray, uh, playing one of the, uh, tour guide, tour, tour group members.

[00:21:28] Oh wow.

[00:21:29] Yeah.

[00:21:30] Yeah.

[00:21:30] Yeah.

[00:21:30] She's playing the single Marsha.

[00:21:31] Okay.

[00:21:32] Yeah.

[00:21:32] I, okay.

[00:21:34] Yeah.

[00:21:35] I thought she looked familiar, but I couldn't quite place it, but now, okay.

[00:21:38] Jen Betts, Jennifer Gray.

[00:21:40] And again, they all played great.

[00:21:41] I mean, it's, it's small parts, but it just, again, I'll kind of go back to the authenticity

[00:21:46] of it.

[00:21:47] I mean, I've been on some of these tours and other countries and kind of guided tours and

[00:21:53] traveling tours.

[00:21:54] And it's like, yes, the relationships, the way you interact with these other people, they

[00:21:58] all, it all felt just very natural.

[00:22:01] Yeah.

[00:22:01] You could have really easily thrown in some like over the top caricatures of certain types

[00:22:06] of characters and personalities like we might be discussing in our next review.

[00:22:11] And then, but instead I think everybody here just felt real and natural.

[00:22:17] So, so Jennifer Gray, who I now know that that's who it is, but her character of Marsha,

[00:22:23] when they're going around the circle and the way that Benji interacts with her, I'm like,

[00:22:27] oh no.

[00:22:28] Cause you know, he's like, oh, Hey.

[00:22:30] And he's, you know, it's like, she's an attractive older woman who's single.

[00:22:32] And it's like, obviously, you know, getting over some serious issue.

[00:22:36] Or like maybe it was a divorce.

[00:22:37] I think it was a relationship or their separation.

[00:22:40] Right.

[00:22:40] It's like, and the way Benji's interacting, you're like, oh no, they're going to like hook

[00:22:45] up.

[00:22:45] And then you just, and you can tell that's kind of actually what's probably going through

[00:22:49] David's mind.

[00:22:50] Like, oh man, this guy's going to make this trip a train wreck.

[00:22:53] He's going to try to hook up with Marsha.

[00:22:55] Like, and that's exactly what there again, that it is, like you said, simple film.

[00:23:00] But the fact that I found myself thinking that, and then to be proven wrong, like, no, he's

[00:23:05] actually talking to her and like, but he's just doing it just to kind of seemingly work

[00:23:10] through her issues, but maybe help him kind of work through some sort of stuff.

[00:23:14] So it's, it's, I don't know.

[00:23:15] I found it, there were more levels than what I would have thought going in.

[00:23:20] So really helped me appreciate it.

[00:23:22] I will say, I mean, we've talked about, somebody could be listening to this review and think,

[00:23:27] okay, well, this movie doesn't sound very funny.

[00:23:30] And there is some moments of, I think, real good comic gold.

[00:23:35] I think there's a scene, it's an interesting scene at a dinner.

[00:23:40] Oh yeah.

[00:23:41] That involves a piano.

[00:23:42] Right.

[00:23:42] But the scene is, starts out, I think, very funny.

[00:23:46] Yep.

[00:23:46] Then it turns very serious.

[00:23:48] Yes.

[00:23:48] And just, it's an interesting scene, but I think there's a moment where Benji starts

[00:23:55] to kind of feel a little uncomfortable in the surrounding or hearing information he doesn't

[00:24:00] want to hear and excuses himself from the table.

[00:24:03] But that's really funny.

[00:24:05] It was in the trailer.

[00:24:05] So it's one of those scenes, like his lines and delivery.

[00:24:08] It was a little ruined for me.

[00:24:10] I'd already seen.

[00:24:11] Oh, okay.

[00:24:11] But then when he left and David has a chance to kind of talk and open up to the rest of

[00:24:18] the group, I thought was really good.

[00:24:20] Yeah.

[00:24:20] And then the whole time you're wondering, where is Benji?

[00:24:23] Where is he?

[00:24:23] Where is he?

[00:24:24] And then he's back in the back playing a piano.

[00:24:26] And it's just, it was just an interesting, that whole, that whole scene was really good.

[00:24:30] Really interesting.

[00:24:31] And I think, I'm like, I guess it was Amelia Perez we reviewed, where it was like, that

[00:24:36] was kind of billed as a comedy.

[00:24:38] We're like, okay.

[00:24:39] I think that was the film that you and I were both like, interesting to, this does has some

[00:24:44] comedic stuff in it.

[00:24:45] Just their banter, the dialogue between the two cousins primarily is just, you know, you

[00:24:50] start, it again, it plays into the whole odd couple shirt motif.

[00:24:54] You know, it's obviously the two of them very different.

[00:24:57] And a lot of their dialogue between them accentuates that.

[00:25:00] It's just later in the film, when you start to learn a little bit more about what's going

[00:25:04] on behind the scenes, it makes that dialogue.

[00:25:06] Makes the weight increase a little bit.

[00:25:08] Yeah.

[00:25:09] But I thought it would, I think it, like you're saying, it's a, it's a feather in both Eisenberg

[00:25:15] and Culkin's cap that at least you have the light moments and you can still say like,

[00:25:20] but then you are, there's something more behind it, but it, it keeps it as light as it is because

[00:25:24] of the way they're able to do the rapid fire dialogue and the reactions.

[00:25:28] You can tell both of them are just, they're in sync with what they're doing.

[00:25:30] And both of them as actors and other performances we've seen, that is their thing.

[00:25:35] They are both, you could say the constant barrage of dialogue and very different stylistically

[00:25:41] in the way to deliver it.

[00:25:42] But it's still that constant flow of, of dialogue.

[00:25:45] It's so heavy on the dialogue, what they're saying and the words are saying and why they're

[00:25:48] saying.

[00:25:48] You could say, as you know, we were saying Culkin was riffing on Roman Reif from Succession.

[00:25:53] You could say in a way Eisenberg was riffing on Zuckerberg from Social Network.

[00:25:56] As far as like being this like very tight, controlled person.

[00:26:01] Like, yeah, you could say that, but it's so much more than that.

[00:26:04] So, yeah.

[00:26:05] Yeah, that is good.

[00:26:06] A real pain I thought was not a real pain to watch.

[00:26:09] I thought it was really good and I did enjoy it.

[00:26:12] But, you know, when there were discussions about at one point it was batted around as maybe

[00:26:19] a contender for a Best Picture nomination.

[00:26:21] I don't see that because I don't think the film has quite enough weight and depth to it.

[00:26:28] But I didn't need that for this film to work for me.

[00:26:30] It still was a really, really enjoyable film.

[00:26:32] Here's the thing.

[00:26:33] Obviously, I'm pretty high on the film.

[00:26:34] And if it somehow got to be, I think back when we talked about the 10, they were batting

[00:26:39] around.

[00:26:40] Yeah.

[00:26:41] And we're still early.

[00:26:43] This was thrown in there.

[00:26:45] If it somehow makes the 10, not being, you know, I can't remember all the ones that were

[00:26:49] in there, but it might be the one that I'm going to be rooting for as far as my personal

[00:26:52] favorite because I just, I kind of liked it.

[00:26:56] And it's just very, for me, it was kind of different.

[00:26:58] Mm-hmm.

[00:26:59] So it might be like the underdog that I'm rooting for, similar to way back in whenever

[00:27:03] it was Parasite 1.

[00:27:05] And I was like, yeah, that's not going to win Best Picture.

[00:27:06] And then when it did, like, I was like, yes!

[00:27:08] Like, I was just super excited.

[00:27:10] Yeah.

[00:27:11] Yeah.

[00:27:11] I'll have to see.

[00:27:12] All right.

[00:27:13] Well, that is a real pain.

[00:27:15] Plus, it met the Chris Fry duration expectation of 90 minutes on the dot.

[00:27:21] Yes.

[00:27:22] So it made that.

[00:27:23] To not ever stay, it's welcome.

[00:27:24] It made that exact mark of one hour, 30 minutes that qualifies as it being a, quote,

[00:27:30] comprehensive film, but yet not staying one minute beyond its need there.

[00:27:34] So good.

[00:27:36] All right.

[00:27:36] You know, screenwriting is actually something I could, I would see this being, I'd like

[00:27:40] to see this nominated for screenwriting.

[00:27:42] I do feel like.

[00:27:43] Different enough.

[00:27:43] Yeah.

[00:27:44] I feel like it's, it's written well enough.

[00:27:47] There ought to be some recognition for that.

[00:27:49] It's a bit of a travelogue, yet it's also maybe somewhat biographical, but then it's

[00:27:52] also this buddy, buddy film or whatever.

[00:27:55] So yeah, it's got a couple of different things.

[00:27:57] Original screenwriting.

[00:27:57] I'd love to see original screenwriting nomination for it personally.

[00:28:01] So.

[00:28:01] Agreed.

[00:28:02] All right.

[00:28:02] That is a real pain.

[00:28:04] I think it is, it's in some theaters still playing right now.

[00:28:10] Is that the deal?

[00:28:11] Probably in bigger cities, but yeah.

[00:28:13] Yeah.

[00:28:13] Yeah.

[00:28:14] But yeah.

[00:28:15] And I think maybe come maybe sometime in December where we are in December.

[00:28:21] Yeah.

[00:28:22] Hopefully it'll be online before too long.

[00:28:24] Sure.

[00:28:24] Yeah.

[00:28:25] All right.

[00:28:25] That is a real pain.

[00:28:26] We are both giving a positive review of Chris really high.

[00:28:31] I got a feeling I might be hearing this film batted around when we get to our best of the

[00:28:36] year from a Mr. Chris Fry.

[00:28:38] I'm guessing.

[00:28:39] I'm making my prediction.

[00:28:41] We'll see.

[00:28:41] I'm not setting any expectations saying I could see, I get the vibes from you that I

[00:28:46] think it, it really worked for you.

[00:28:48] It did for me as well, but I think it really, really worked for you.

[00:28:51] That's great.

[00:28:52] Awesome.

[00:28:53] All right.

[00:28:53] That is a real pain.

[00:28:54] Let's go on to our second review, which is the latest from director Clint Eastwood.

[00:29:00] It is juror number two.

[00:29:07] It was last October.

[00:29:11] It was raining and I hit something.

[00:29:20] I got out of the car and I looked around.

[00:29:25] I checked.

[00:29:25] I didn't see anything.

[00:29:26] I figured it was a deer that ran off.

[00:29:39] Okay.

[00:29:39] What's the problem?

[00:29:40] I got called for jury duty.

[00:29:46] In Clint Eastwood's juror number two, we have the story of a juror in a high profile murder

[00:29:58] case.

[00:29:59] Someone who is elected to become a member of the juror.

[00:30:01] Who's a family man has a, uh, a new child on the way with his wife, but he finds himself

[00:30:08] struggling with a serious moral dilemma that emerges during the course of the case.

[00:30:14] One that he could use.

[00:30:16] He could use to sway the jury verdict and potentially convict or free the wrong killer in this case.

[00:30:23] Now, Chris, this is director Clint Eastwood, uh, written by a Jonathan Abrams, who I do not

[00:30:29] believe is any relation to JJ Abrams, but Jonathan Abrams is the writer of this film.

[00:30:33] Uh, it has been rumored that this might be Clint Eastwood's last film.

[00:30:38] Just to give a little, uh, Hollywood background here, there has been some, uh, concern about

[00:30:45] how the studio has been not promoting this film and that it did not get hardly any promotion

[00:30:52] whatsoever.

[00:30:53] I don't even know.

[00:30:54] Did it, did it play in a theater near us, Chris at all?

[00:30:57] I don't think so.

[00:30:58] And I think, which is really weird because this seems like the kind of movie that should

[00:31:02] be playing in a theater, some names in it.

[00:31:04] And I think the, it basically had like, I know it was in New York for a little bit, like maybe

[00:31:09] like a week or maybe less than that.

[00:31:11] So yeah, it hit like major cities and then.

[00:31:14] Well, a lot of people online are being upset about the way that it's been not promoted,

[00:31:19] not handled, kind of almost shelved with a very limited release and very limited exposure.

[00:31:24] My question to you, Chris is, is that a good thing for this film?

[00:31:28] Are you okay with the fact that this film did not get a lot of push?

[00:31:32] Do you think it deserved a bigger push than it got?

[00:31:35] And in general, what did you think of juror number two?

[00:31:38] So this would have made if it was streaming, which apparently will be shortly soon, like

[00:31:44] in a day or two, this film will be streaming so people can check it out if they want.

[00:31:48] It would have made the perfect Thanksgiving movie because it's a turkey.

[00:31:53] So yeah.

[00:31:54] So no, I, I, I completely understand why Warner brothers didn't do it.

[00:31:59] Now I don't know why grid, I have not seen Batgirl or the, um, road runner movie.

[00:32:07] Acme.

[00:32:08] The Acme road.

[00:32:09] Yeah.

[00:32:09] Coyote and road.

[00:32:10] Coyote versus Acme.

[00:32:11] Yeah.

[00:32:11] So I haven't, I haven't seen those two films, but you know, they decided they did keep this

[00:32:18] one back, but yet it was out briefly.

[00:32:20] But yeah, I just, I totally thought this was, it's not the fault.

[00:32:25] It's the writing.

[00:32:26] I thought the writing was pretty much terrible.

[00:32:29] The direction is fine.

[00:32:30] Clint Eastwood's direction is fine.

[00:32:31] He's obviously, he's made a lot of movies.

[00:32:33] Man knows how to direct.

[00:32:34] He's, you know, um, the acting, I feel like given the script that they were given again,

[00:32:41] pretty fine.

[00:32:41] Like Nicholas Holt, he's having the year he's going to be in this for Atu.

[00:32:45] He's in this, he's in a movie called the order, which if it was widely available, I'd

[00:32:50] probably recommend cause I actually really liked the order.

[00:32:52] Um, but this film just, if you want to see a courtroom drama that makes you think there's

[00:33:00] already been one, it's called 12 angry men, um, much better film.

[00:33:04] And it's an older, you know, an older, more of a classic, but the, this film, like the plot

[00:33:11] machinations are so to me clunky and the things that happen, you're just like, really?

[00:33:16] That's, I'm really supposed to believe all this.

[00:33:19] It's just, I, I don't know that I can really say anything.

[00:33:24] And that's sad.

[00:33:26] I don't know that I can really say anything positive.

[00:33:29] Interesting.

[00:33:29] Number two.

[00:33:30] Interesting.

[00:33:31] Yeah.

[00:33:32] Um, and it's weird because like you said there, there's a lot of critic swelling around this

[00:33:37] film.

[00:33:37] Like, Oh, they think it's one of Clint Clint Eastwood's best films.

[00:33:40] How dare they not release all this stuff?

[00:33:42] And I, I wish, I feel like I saw a different movie.

[00:33:46] I don't know what movie they saw, but I wish, I wish I would have seen it because that was

[00:33:50] not my experience.

[00:33:51] I'm going to counter a little bit on you.

[00:33:53] I'm going to come out and say, ultimately, I don't think this film worked.

[00:33:56] Okay.

[00:33:57] Okay.

[00:33:57] I'm just saying that on the record.

[00:33:58] I am, but I, for specific reasons, when you mentioned the writing now, I think it's

[00:34:03] important that we, we kind of carve out what writing means because there's a plot or a,

[00:34:10] not a plot.

[00:34:11] It's a, a story by where you have a story.

[00:34:15] Okay.

[00:34:15] You came up with a concept and an idea of the story you want to tell.

[00:34:18] And then there's the specific writing of dialogue and what people say and how people

[00:34:23] act within the film.

[00:34:25] Okay.

[00:34:25] That part of it is horrible.

[00:34:27] Okay.

[00:34:27] The writing contrived.

[00:34:29] Yes.

[00:34:30] The dialogue, the characterization of people is horrible.

[00:34:33] It is.

[00:34:34] I felt like it was very, very ham fisted.

[00:34:37] We walked into a jury room and within one line of dialogue from each person, you're like,

[00:34:43] Oh, I know exactly now who this person is being pegged as.

[00:34:46] I don't put that on the phone of the director or the actors.

[00:34:48] They're doing what they're doing.

[00:34:50] It's the dialogue and the, the, the characterization that's made throughout these film with characters.

[00:34:55] Now I will say this, the story, meaning the plot, the actual idea, I think is fascinating.

[00:35:02] Okay.

[00:35:02] I think this concept, when I've started to realize there's a moment in this film early on.

[00:35:07] Oh yeah.

[00:35:08] Where you realize what the deal with this film is going to be.

[00:35:11] And I'm like, Oh, okay.

[00:35:13] Now this is kind of cool.

[00:35:14] I like this a lot, but the problem is the film never lived up to what that premise could

[00:35:21] have been potential premise.

[00:35:22] Yeah.

[00:35:23] That would work.

[00:35:24] It's like, what if, what if somehow you could prevent and you're like, what do I do?

[00:35:28] Like you're on this jury?

[00:35:30] What do I do?

[00:35:30] What do I do?

[00:35:31] Yeah.

[00:35:31] Interesting.

[00:35:32] Because you're like, do I let this person go to jail or the wrong killer?

[00:35:36] Like, yeah, the setup you read about the convert go free or whatever.

[00:35:39] Interesting.

[00:35:40] Yeah.

[00:35:41] But just so poorly executed.

[00:35:43] Execution is not good.

[00:35:44] I feel like they actually stepped in traps that they didn't have to step in.

[00:35:49] For example, Nicholas Holt, who plays a conflicted juror number two, he goes to talk to a lawyer.

[00:35:56] Yeah.

[00:35:57] I guess it's one of his friends and AA buddy.

[00:35:59] Yeah.

[00:36:00] It's a sponsor.

[00:36:01] I think, well, or at least a leader of an AA group.

[00:36:03] Yeah.

[00:36:03] It may have been, but he goes to talk to him and that lawyer gives terrible, terrible,

[00:36:10] terrible, terrible advice.

[00:36:11] Agreed.

[00:36:11] Which I think if we're known, he would be disbarred.

[00:36:16] Yes.

[00:36:16] Because it's like, now Grant, I'm not a lawyer.

[00:36:19] I did not go to law school.

[00:36:20] I am not even a professional film critic.

[00:36:22] I do this because I love it.

[00:36:23] And Alan and I watch a lot of movies.

[00:36:24] We didn't train to be film critics.

[00:36:26] But I feel like from my knowledge of movies, you know, it's like they have to always report

[00:36:34] what, like it's in the best interest of their client to like try to help them and make

[00:36:38] sure they're not, but if they hear of a crime that has been committed, they have to somehow

[00:36:43] like, it's like, well, I can't like if somebody says, Hey, I just shot this person.

[00:36:47] You can't be like, Oh, okay.

[00:36:49] Well that you shouldn't have done that.

[00:36:50] Like there's some, there is something that like when it's a law, like there is granted

[00:36:55] my understanding of the law is movie based.

[00:36:57] So don't, but it just, I couldn't believe they opened up that can of worms for seemingly

[00:37:02] no, I was like, well, that's dumb.

[00:37:04] Well, and it's almost like they wrote that character in.

[00:37:06] And this is the key for Sutherland does play Larry, Larry, but they wrote this character

[00:37:13] almost like just a, a way for Justin, the main character to be able to explain what's

[00:37:19] going on because there's nobody else in the film he can go talk to.

[00:37:23] And we don't have any kind of voiceover.

[00:37:25] We don't have anything.

[00:37:26] Yeah.

[00:37:27] So that's the only purpose that that character Larry exists in is to be the, okay, I need

[00:37:32] to give you kind of a little bit of a data dump on what's happening and why.

[00:37:36] And it's like, but that character of Larry, why make him a lawyer?

[00:37:41] Why couldn't he have been just an AI, AA sponsor?

[00:37:44] That would have, cause it's like he could confide in him and you don't have to worry

[00:37:48] about, you know, trying to get legal advice from it or, or the legal quandary that you

[00:37:53] put yourself in by going to somebody who's actually an accredited lawyer.

[00:37:56] While they're doing the thing, which they're good.

[00:37:58] It's it, man, it irritated me so much, which another thing is supposedly I've heard from

[00:38:02] movies is like, if you pay them something, then they, they immediately can't testify

[00:38:08] against.

[00:38:08] He's like, well, give me a dollar.

[00:38:09] Right.

[00:38:09] And I'm like, okay, but yeah, you're giving him terrible.

[00:38:12] Like that made it worse.

[00:38:13] Okay.

[00:38:14] Another character who had, you know, uh, actually Tony Collette and JK Simmons, Tony

[00:38:20] Collette's like the, she's the prosecuting attorney.

[00:38:23] Like I so stereotypical performance was horrible about power and everything.

[00:38:29] Her performance was horrible.

[00:38:30] I honestly, and I'm so disappointed.

[00:38:33] She's the only actor in here.

[00:38:35] I feel like just was not putting it a good performance.

[00:38:39] I, I, I really feel like everybody else was probably doing their writing.

[00:38:42] I feel like it's just like maybe, but I do think in her situation, I just felt like it

[00:38:45] was so, so lazy.

[00:38:47] It was just so stereotypical lazy.

[00:38:49] It could have been done so much better.

[00:38:50] I was really disappointed in her performance.

[00:38:52] Just, just felt so.

[00:38:55] It's almost like, yeah, I, I, she had, she's supposed to act a certain way.

[00:38:58] And then when presented with a piece of information, she's supposed to feel a different way.

[00:39:01] And it's just so painfully obvious.

[00:39:04] Okay.

[00:39:04] Now my face has to look this way because now I'm contemplating this information.

[00:39:08] And it's like, oh, it was bad.

[00:39:10] So JK Simmons, who's a former police detective and he's on the jury.

[00:39:15] And that was just like, just so many, so many contrivances.

[00:39:21] So many.

[00:39:21] It was, it was, it, it, it, it, the execution was disappointing in that I was so amped up about

[00:39:28] this film when I learned the premise and understood where it was going to go.

[00:39:31] And then to see it just get not executed on successfully at all was disappointing.

[00:39:39] Now I will come back and say the one character I actually think was written good.

[00:39:45] And I actually bought him as a character.

[00:39:48] The wife?

[00:39:49] No, Justin Nicholas Holt.

[00:39:51] Oh, I actually think him had by himself, his character.

[00:39:55] I totally bought him.

[00:39:56] And it's like, I, I, I could feel when he was feeling nervous.

[00:40:00] I could feel when he was feeling anxious and troubled and conflicted, all that.

[00:40:05] I thought he was great.

[00:40:06] It's just none of the other supporting characters around him helped to support his role.

[00:40:11] So, um, I thought he was great.

[00:40:14] And, but I just was so disappointed by everybody else around them and their, their characters,

[00:40:20] not their performances necessarily, except for Tony Collette.

[00:40:23] But everybody else, it was just, I was disappointed in the way the characters,

[00:40:27] their actions were all scripted out.

[00:40:30] It was just so stereotypical.

[00:40:33] Gosh, inside the jury rooms were just painful scenes because it's like,

[00:40:37] no, I feel this way and I'm not going to budge whatsoever.

[00:40:40] And I'm doing this because I had this kind of background and I'm going to tell you about

[00:40:44] my background and that's going to justify the way that I'm feeling right now.

[00:40:48] So you shouldn't question it.

[00:40:49] And it was just, it was just so painfully obvious from some of the characters.

[00:40:53] So the Sidney Lumet film, 12 anger me on black and white film.

[00:40:56] Have you seen it?

[00:40:57] Oh yeah.

[00:40:58] Okay.

[00:40:58] Yeah.

[00:40:58] So that to me, like, yeah, it's taking place in a jury room and like that grid, you know,

[00:41:03] it's like saying, well, that's unfair.

[00:41:04] Cause that's a classic.

[00:41:05] I understand that, but this was just so hackneyed compared to that in my opinion.

[00:41:12] So I just, yeah, I, uh, Nicholas Holt, I guess I can, I can't, if I had to, you're right.

[00:41:18] His performance and everything.

[00:41:20] I think he was good.

[00:41:21] And actually, honestly, you're right.

[00:41:24] Let's about somebody else in that role.

[00:41:26] I think I would have disliked this film more than I already do.

[00:41:30] So, and I, the final scene of the film made me grown as well.

[00:41:35] It was a huge, I, because I kind of felt it coming because I've just felt like there was

[00:41:39] a lot of moralizing and moralizing and granted to Nicholas Holtz and maybe let's say a little

[00:41:44] bit to the writer.

[00:41:45] Okay.

[00:41:46] I'll give him a little bit of credit.

[00:41:48] You never truly know how to feel about what Nicholas Holtz character, Justin Kemp is doing

[00:41:53] because you're like, well, I guess I can kind of understand some of the choices he's making.

[00:41:58] He does seem conflicted.

[00:42:00] He is a good person, but yet he's making some poor choices.

[00:42:04] What is he doing to these other people?

[00:42:06] He's affecting these people's lives.

[00:42:07] But then at the end, it's like, okay, and this is how you're supposed to feel.

[00:42:11] He'll come up and swipe and you're like, okay, groaning.

[00:42:16] I, I, I, his wife's pregnant and there's all that.

[00:42:19] I like the fact that this film just cuts before any dialogue happens in that last scene.

[00:42:25] That's good.

[00:42:26] I thought that admirable, but I hated the fact that the basically last shot is Tony

[00:42:30] Collette just standing there giving this look again.

[00:42:35] Again, I don't understand.

[00:42:36] It was just so, it was irritating.

[00:42:39] It's like, I like the concept.

[00:42:40] Okay.

[00:42:41] Yes.

[00:42:41] End on this cut to black.

[00:42:44] Right.

[00:42:44] I don't quite know what's, what's the next step is.

[00:42:48] I have a pretty good indication of where the story is going to go after it cuts to black,

[00:42:52] but you don't know a hundred percent.

[00:42:54] True.

[00:42:54] So that's actually kind of cool, but yeah, it was, um, it was tough.

[00:42:59] It was really tough.

[00:43:00] And again, you're right.

[00:43:01] Direction wise.

[00:43:02] It's fine.

[00:43:03] I think it felt, it felt a little TV movie, movie ish at many times.

[00:43:08] It did.

[00:43:09] It just felt like a, yeah.

[00:43:11] Like either a miniseries or yeah.

[00:43:13] TV movie.

[00:43:13] That's what it felt like.

[00:43:14] But look, I could argue, I could argue the same way.

[00:43:16] I felt I, as much as I love the movie, a few good men, I do feel like that was also directed

[00:43:22] and felt very TV movie ish in the way it was directed.

[00:43:25] It just didn't, didn't care about the visual appearance of anything.

[00:43:29] It's just no, we're just here to tell a story and we're just going to shoot people in the

[00:43:33] most traditional ways possible to tell this story.

[00:43:35] And it's fine.

[00:43:36] Look, you can get a story across and it works.

[00:43:38] I mean, a few good men is a great example.

[00:43:40] I love that movie because I love the story and I love, I love the decisions made in that

[00:43:48] film, but it doesn't look great.

[00:43:50] It's a very plain looking film.

[00:43:52] It's a, you know, there's nothing interesting visually about it.

[00:43:56] It's just a well told story, you know, in a courtroom drama, which I do love my courtroom

[00:44:01] dramas.

[00:44:02] That's probably why I was so, I got excited in the first 20 minutes of this movie.

[00:44:05] I'm like, Oh yeah, this is, this is good.

[00:44:08] This is a great idea.

[00:44:09] And then it just, it didn't, it didn't do anything interesting.

[00:44:14] And courtroom dramas are not my jam.

[00:44:15] Okay.

[00:44:16] All right.

[00:44:16] I do.

[00:44:17] I love them, but that's what made this probably even more disappointing by the time I got to

[00:44:21] the end.

[00:44:21] It's like, wow, you had this amazing concept of a film.

[00:44:25] Amazing.

[00:44:26] That I could not wait to see you do pull something off of.

[00:44:29] And you just didn't.

[00:44:31] To have been able to thread the needle and do this film successfully, I think would have

[00:44:38] been, it would have been like, it would probably be my film of the year if that could have

[00:44:42] happened.

[00:44:43] And if this is Clint Eastwood's last film, it's a shame that that was the effect because

[00:44:48] if you were somehow, somehow able to navigate that, you know, that would make this film amazing.

[00:44:54] But to me, man, it just.

[00:44:55] I wonder if some of the critical love for this film that some people are having is purely

[00:45:01] based on a, the premise.

[00:45:03] Cause I do think the premise is one that's like, you can come and get on board with this

[00:45:07] film with the premise right away.

[00:45:08] Right.

[00:45:09] I mean, again, I tell you 15 minutes into this movie or 20 minutes, whenever that kind of

[00:45:14] hits and you start to realize what's going on.

[00:45:16] I'm like, yes.

[00:45:17] And the fact that it's Clint Eastwood who's been around forever and it's, you know, he's

[00:45:22] 90 some years old at this point making this film.

[00:45:25] Right.

[00:45:25] I think there's a little bit of that together, but I, I, I think we're both in agreement that

[00:45:29] it's just a poorly executed film.

[00:45:33] Uh, characters are so paper thin and so predictable all the way through.

[00:45:39] Um, yeah.

[00:45:41] All right.

[00:45:42] So Chris, is there anything else we want to say about juror number two?

[00:45:47] Uh, no, I think I, I think it is fair to say I am probably less positive than you are and

[00:45:55] I'm pretty negative.

[00:45:56] Yeah, no, you're, you're less positive.

[00:45:58] And I'm, I did not.

[00:46:00] I was ultimately disappointed in the film.

[00:46:02] I guess that's the best way to come across it.

[00:46:04] You know, it's one of those where, yeah, it's just disappointing, disappointing to take

[00:46:11] a great premise, a great concept, a great cast.

[00:46:14] I mean, they've got good cast people in this.

[00:46:16] Sure.

[00:46:18] And, you know, we haven't had a really good courtroom drama film in a really long time.

[00:46:23] So it's like everything was right in place for this thing to work.

[00:46:26] And it's just, just didn't know what to do with this really great setup and a good lead

[00:46:33] performance.

[00:46:33] I think by Nicholas Holt, and it just didn't know what to do with all those pieces.

[00:46:37] And just by the end of the day, just kind of jumbled about, they fumbled it all by the

[00:46:41] end to where there are a lot of questions about why people acted certain ways, paper

[00:46:48] thin supporting characters that just, you know, you kind of predicted and you knew who they

[00:46:52] were right away from one line of dialogue and you never saw anything waver from them.

[00:46:57] It was just disappointing.

[00:46:58] So, yeah.

[00:47:00] That is a real jury number two.

[00:47:01] I was going to say real pain again.

[00:47:03] Real pain is a good one.

[00:47:04] Jury number two is not so good.

[00:47:06] Jury number two.

[00:47:07] Yes.

[00:47:07] Jury number two.

[00:47:07] As Chris said, is available online for rental or purchase.

[00:47:12] I believe it is going to be streaming on max come December 20th.

[00:47:18] Okay.

[00:47:18] So you've got online purchase now by the time you hear this, or you can wait until December

[00:47:24] 20th.

[00:47:24] If you wish to see it, it'll be on max exclusively as a streaming service.

[00:47:29] And if, if courtroom dramas are your, are your thing, then you, you might enjoy it.

[00:47:34] So are you definitely would enjoy it?

[00:47:35] I would say if you like courtroom dramas and if you are okay with being given a great setup to a film, even just knowing that it's not going to satisfy, it's not going to satisfy that setup very successfully.

[00:47:51] I don't feel like.

[00:47:53] Then, you know, check it out just to see what the premise is like.

[00:47:56] But I hate to say that it doesn't give much more beyond that.

[00:48:00] So, all right.

[00:48:01] But kudos to Clint Eastwood.

[00:48:03] I mean, come on, guys.

[00:48:04] I think it was 90 years old.

[00:48:06] I don't know if he's hit the 90 mark.

[00:48:08] Definitely above like maybe 85.

[00:48:11] Somebody directorial recently was getting at the 90 level.

[00:48:15] Who was that?

[00:48:16] So, he was born in 1930.

[00:48:18] So, quick math.

[00:48:19] 70.

[00:48:21] Oh, if he was born in 1930, he is 94 years old, Chris.

[00:48:26] Oh, okay.

[00:48:27] That can't.

[00:48:28] No, I mean, IMDB, let me down.

[00:48:31] It says 1930.

[00:48:32] May 31st, 1930.

[00:48:33] I was just saying.

[00:48:34] Wow.

[00:48:34] 30 to 2070.

[00:48:36] And then he had 24.

[00:48:37] Okay.

[00:48:37] So, 94 years old.

[00:48:38] 94 years old.

[00:48:38] You're right then.

[00:48:39] Wow.

[00:48:40] Yes.

[00:48:40] Cool.

[00:48:40] Amazing.

[00:48:41] So.

[00:48:42] So, yeah.

[00:48:43] Yeah.

[00:48:45] I feel bad.

[00:48:46] I feel bad kind of trashing the film a little bit.

[00:48:49] But I mean, yeah.

[00:48:50] Yeah.

[00:48:51] Kudos to him for putting out a movie.

[00:48:53] I mean, I would say that for sure.

[00:48:54] And it's still being a, you know, where some people are going to find this somewhat enjoyable

[00:48:59] and appreciate it.

[00:49:01] So, it was great.

[00:49:01] And I think expectations probably killed it for me too.

[00:49:04] Because all the, what you talked about, about it, people being scandalized that it hadn't

[00:49:08] been released.

[00:49:08] And, you know, Cleese, it was such a good film.

[00:49:10] And I'm like, oh, okay.

[00:49:12] And then when I saw it, I'm like, really?

[00:49:14] You know?

[00:49:14] But, yeah.

[00:49:16] Yeah.

[00:49:16] So, unfortunate.

[00:49:18] Okay.

[00:49:18] Well, that was our two reviews.

[00:49:19] We discussed The Real Pain and we did Jury No. 2.

[00:49:22] Let's take a quick little break.

[00:49:24] When we come back, Chris and I are just going to pour over some more predictions for the

[00:49:28] year going into the acting categories by a male performer, the lead actor and supporting

[00:49:35] actor categories.

[00:49:36] We're going to do a little predictions talk on that.

[00:49:39] So, stay tuned.

[00:49:40] You're listening to Foot Candle Films.

[00:49:41] We'll be right back in a moment.

[00:49:42] This podcast is sponsored by Jackson Creative.

[00:49:45] A custom communication agency located in downtown Hickory, North Carolina, specializing in online

[00:49:52] content creation.

[00:49:54] To learn more, visit thejacksoncreative.com.

[00:49:58] Jackson Creative.

[00:49:59] We tell your story.

[00:50:01] Welcome back to Foot Candle Films here on the Mesh.TV.

[00:50:05] Ignore us.

[00:50:06] Chris and I were just griping a little bit more about jury number two while the mics were

[00:50:11] dead here.

[00:50:11] So, if you'd like to hear us gripe more at any point, feel free to write us a note.

[00:50:15] We'll tell you at the end of the show how you can get a hold of us and we'd love to talk

[00:50:18] to you about this movie a little bit more.

[00:50:21] Again, Chris came out on it.

[00:50:23] More negative than me, but we are both disappointed.

[00:50:26] I'm definitely disappointed.

[00:50:27] And we have issues with the film for sure.

[00:50:30] All right, Chris.

[00:50:31] But let's talk Oscars.

[00:50:33] I know we've been doing this for a couple weeks, but we're kind of on a roll.

[00:50:36] And I enjoy it.

[00:50:37] I think it's fun to start doing some prognostication.

[00:50:39] True.

[00:50:40] We're in December.

[00:50:41] We're in the throes of the last month of the year.

[00:50:45] We know all the films that are at least two still come out for the most part.

[00:50:50] I don't think at this point there's going to be any surprise film that just comes out

[00:50:54] of nowhere and all of a sudden gets all this acclaim.

[00:50:57] I think we're pretty much know what the playing field is looking like.

[00:51:00] And we've been hitting the categories of potential Oscar nominations for the last couple weeks.

[00:51:05] We did Best Picture two weeks ago.

[00:51:07] Then we did the Actress and Supporting Actress nominations last time.

[00:51:13] So let's talk the guys.

[00:51:15] Let's talk the Actor and Supporting Actor nominations.

[00:51:18] And again, we're using Variety publication, Variety.com, as kind of our basis for this.

[00:51:25] They have a great list where they put together their Oscar predictions.

[00:51:29] And it is an evolving, updating list as more information comes in.

[00:51:33] Variety is not a paid sponsor of this show.

[00:51:35] But Variety, anytime you want to do so, just let us reach out.

[00:51:38] We're big fans.

[00:51:40] Big fans of Variety here.

[00:51:41] So I do encourage everybody to kind of check out their predictions list.

[00:51:45] We're just going to read out where they stand as of today at the time of recording,

[00:51:49] where they stand on the Best Actor and Supporting Actor nominations.

[00:51:54] Let's do Supporting Actor first.

[00:51:56] Okay.

[00:51:58] I'm going to read out the five nominations, and let's just kind of see where we feel about this.

[00:52:03] We have Yura Borisov from Anora.

[00:52:07] Yes.

[00:52:07] He plays Igor?

[00:52:09] Yes.

[00:52:10] I think they say Igor.

[00:52:11] Did I pull a young Frankenstein and say Igor?

[00:52:14] It's Igor.

[00:52:15] Igor.

[00:52:16] Yeah.

[00:52:17] Yura Borisov.

[00:52:18] We're both big fans of his performance in Anora.

[00:52:20] Mm-hmm.

[00:52:22] Kieran and Culkin from A Real Pain, which we just talked about.

[00:52:25] See, and that's one, you know, we can go on.

[00:52:30] I would almost think that would be more of like a lead.

[00:52:33] I mean, it is a shared thing, but he's so.

[00:52:35] I know.

[00:52:36] Yeah.

[00:52:36] It's those tough things.

[00:52:38] Yeah.

[00:52:38] How do you define supporting versus lead?

[00:52:41] Because, yeah, I think he's got more screen time, almost than any, even more than David.

[00:52:48] Because there are some scenes where we spend with just Culkin.

[00:52:52] Yeah.

[00:52:53] So, anyway.

[00:52:53] But he's supporting.

[00:52:54] Okay.

[00:52:54] He's supporting.

[00:52:56] Okay.

[00:52:56] Here's one we haven't talked about yet.

[00:52:58] Clarence Macklin, who is in the movie Sing Sing.

[00:53:01] Gotcha.

[00:53:02] So, he plays one of the inmates at the Sing Sing prison, and he's the one who gets kind

[00:53:10] of brought into the new recruit into the theatrical group there.

[00:53:15] Gotcha.

[00:53:15] So, Clarence Macklin with Sing Sing.

[00:53:18] The one film we have not seen, Guy Pearce in The Brutalist.

[00:53:23] Haven't seen The Brutalist yet.

[00:53:24] That A24 release.

[00:53:26] Both Sing Sing and The Brutalist A24 films.

[00:53:29] And then we have Denzel Washington for Gladiator 2.

[00:53:33] Now, Variety is going ahead and put their little three red asterisks next to Denzel Washington.

[00:53:38] Okay.

[00:53:39] And said that is the one they think is going to win.

[00:53:42] Okay.

[00:53:45] And I'm going to echo Variety here.

[00:53:46] That given what I've seen, other than I have not seen Guy Pearce in The Brutalist.

[00:53:50] So, just fair acknowledgement of that.

[00:53:52] That one could come out and surprise me.

[00:53:54] But of the four I've seen, I'm going to say Denzel Washington for Gladiator 2, I think is going

[00:54:01] to win out of those four.

[00:54:03] Now, do I think it should win?

[00:54:07] Maybe.

[00:54:08] Maybe.

[00:54:09] I really liked Yura Borisov and Anora.

[00:54:12] Right.

[00:54:12] I really liked Clarence Macklin and Sing Sing.

[00:54:15] Okay.

[00:54:16] And I really like Culkin.

[00:54:18] So, we're kind of all over the place.

[00:54:20] We like all of them.

[00:54:21] It's a tough category.

[00:54:23] It is a tough category.

[00:54:24] It's some really good performances in there.

[00:54:26] I mean, I would not be bothered by any of the five of these winning because I think they're

[00:54:30] all good stuff.

[00:54:31] I think Gladiator 2 with Denzel Washington, just because it's Denzel Washington, you always

[00:54:38] have that little bit of that acknowledgement of career kind of in the thing.

[00:54:43] It is a big showy performance.

[00:54:45] It's a little against type, which I think is good.

[00:54:48] I think awards people see that.

[00:54:52] I don't think Gladiator 2 is going to get anything else.

[00:54:56] So, I think there's a little bit of that going on.

[00:54:58] But anyway.

[00:54:58] Well, and I think, so I expressed, not remorse, but just curiosity at Kieran Culkin being put

[00:55:05] in this category.

[00:55:06] However, I could see the movie studio that made a real pain.

[00:55:11] I could see maybe the logic in saying like, okay, it is more of a lead performance, maybe,

[00:55:16] but we're going to put it in supporting because it is such a huge performance that maybe people

[00:55:22] would think it'd be lead, but supporting maybe that will help people sway votes because

[00:55:26] I'll be like, yeah, it should have been a lead, but it's such a huge performance.

[00:55:29] It's such a great performance.

[00:55:30] We'll go ahead.

[00:55:30] Does that make sense?

[00:55:31] Yeah.

[00:55:32] So, it has more firepower because it's in a supporting category because it's a smaller

[00:55:37] film.

[00:55:37] So, maybe that would help its chances.

[00:55:39] That is possible.

[00:55:40] But, yeah, interesting.

[00:55:42] So, yeah, I agree.

[00:55:43] I guess if I, and then again, I've learned that Variety is the source of Alan's,

[00:55:48] Variety is Alan Svengali for putting together his ballot for Oscar party.

[00:55:55] Probably Denzel Washington.

[00:55:56] Yeah.

[00:55:57] I just, it just makes sense.

[00:55:59] Yeah.

[00:55:59] It just makes sense.

[00:56:01] Okay.

[00:56:02] So, that's the supporting actor.

[00:56:03] But again, I think it's a strong category.

[00:56:05] I think all five, I mean, granted, haven't seen Guy Pearce yet, but of the four I've seen,

[00:56:10] they're all really good.

[00:56:11] And I would be ecstatic to hear any of those four read out at this point as the winner.

[00:56:17] All right.

[00:56:17] And then for actor.

[00:56:19] Which I guess A24, if they want us to see it, they better hurry up and send us like a

[00:56:24] screening link because it's going to take us that long to watch the film.

[00:56:26] It's like a three and a half hours.

[00:56:28] Something like that now.

[00:56:29] It's like over three hours.

[00:56:31] Right.

[00:56:31] It's long.

[00:56:32] It's a long film.

[00:56:33] I'm anxious to see it.

[00:56:36] That and A Complete Unknown are the only two films at this point that are like big,

[00:56:41] discussions around award season that we haven't seen.

[00:56:44] And we just haven't gotten access to those two films.

[00:56:46] They haven't been released in theaters yet.

[00:56:48] Right.

[00:56:48] But we also don't have screeners yet.

[00:56:50] So, those two are, the jury's out on those two.

[00:56:53] We've got to wait on those two.

[00:56:54] Sure.

[00:56:54] Okay.

[00:56:55] And then actor.

[00:56:56] Okay.

[00:56:57] Here we go.

[00:56:57] Here we go.

[00:56:58] And out of this list, there are three films I haven't seen.

[00:57:02] So, this makes it a little challenging.

[00:57:04] But Adrian Brody for The Brutalist.

[00:57:07] Okay.

[00:57:07] Again, as we mentioned.

[00:57:09] Timothy Chalamet for Complete Unknown.

[00:57:11] Again, have not seen yet.

[00:57:13] Right.

[00:57:13] And then Daniel Craig in the movie Queer.

[00:57:16] Which is an A24 release.

[00:57:18] It is an A24 movie.

[00:57:19] Have not seen yet, unfortunately.

[00:57:21] So, those three make it a little challenging.

[00:57:24] So, we're only left with two names of films that we've actually seen.

[00:57:27] We have Coleman Domingo for Sing Sing.

[00:57:29] Okay.

[00:57:29] And we have Ray Fiennes for Conclave.

[00:57:32] Oh, yeah.

[00:57:32] Okay.

[00:57:33] So, this one's a little tougher for us to make any kind of judgment on.

[00:57:37] Because, again, three of the five films we haven't seen yet.

[00:57:39] Okay.

[00:57:41] The Brutalist, Complete Unknown.

[00:57:43] What was the third one?

[00:57:44] Queer.

[00:57:45] Oh, yeah.

[00:57:45] Daniel Craig.

[00:57:46] Yeah.

[00:57:47] I, you know, having not seen A Complete Unknown, you've got to figure, though,

[00:57:54] Timothy Chalamet is doing Bob Dylan.

[00:57:56] The film kind of hinges, I would assume, kind of on his performance.

[00:58:01] And from the previews we've seen, it looks like, you know, okay, yeah, he looks like him,

[00:58:06] seems to seem like him.

[00:58:08] So, it's kind of like the Johnny Cash walk the line situation with Joaquin Phoenix.

[00:58:12] You would assume that that's going to be a really strong and tough performance to beat.

[00:58:18] I know.

[00:58:18] Timothy Chalamet has got the three red asterisks next to him on the Variety page.

[00:58:23] So, yes, they are predicting Timothy Chalamet for Best Actor.

[00:58:25] Okay.

[00:58:26] Which boggles my mind.

[00:58:29] But, okay.

[00:58:31] Why does that boggle your mind out?

[00:58:32] Well, it's just I've never been the biggest admirer of him as an actor.

[00:58:37] Okay.

[00:58:39] Just not a super fan.

[00:58:40] So, he's got to win me over on this film.

[00:58:43] I'll just lay that out there.

[00:58:44] It's going to take some work on this one to see.

[00:58:47] But, I, look.

[00:58:51] If he wins, will he go up and do this speech as if he's Paul Atreides?

[00:58:55] That's my question.

[00:58:56] Which would be amazing.

[00:58:57] They'd be like, no, no, no, no.

[00:58:58] You won for a complete unknown.

[00:59:00] Do Dylan.

[00:59:01] Right.

[00:59:01] Don't do Paul.

[00:59:02] Do Dylan.

[00:59:04] I really like Coleman Domingo and Sing Sing.

[00:59:06] Okay.

[00:59:07] He would be my pick.

[00:59:09] Granted, I've only seen two of these.

[00:59:11] So, between him and Ralph Fiennes.

[00:59:13] And I like Ralph Fiennes a lot in Conclave too.

[00:59:15] So, it's like both those performances I'm fine with.

[00:59:17] I feel bad in that this is a category I just haven't seen enough of the movies in.

[00:59:22] Right.

[00:59:22] I will note, this is, A24 seems to have a stranglehold on the actor categories.

[00:59:29] Three of the five nominees, or at least predicted nominees, are A24 films.

[00:59:34] On the supporting actor, two of the five were A24 films.

[00:59:37] A24 has got the actors.

[00:59:39] Interestingly enough, none of the actresses we talked about last week, lead or supporting

[00:59:46] in the predictions category were A24 films.

[00:59:49] None of them.

[00:59:49] Okay.

[00:59:50] So, they're kind of all hemmed in on the male performances this year for A24.

[00:59:53] Okay.

[00:59:54] Interesting.

[00:59:55] Are there any that were missing that you can really call out from this so far that we've

[01:00:00] seen that your surprise are not on the list?

[01:00:04] I don't believe so.

[01:00:05] Yeah.

[01:00:06] I think I've had a chance to catch up with A Heretic, which was an A24 release that had

[01:00:12] Hugh Grant.

[01:00:13] And I mean, it's a horror film.

[01:00:14] So, that right there is going to make you say, well, no wonder there's been no talk of

[01:00:18] it.

[01:00:18] He gives a really good performance in the film.

[01:00:21] It probably would be supporting.

[01:00:23] But I mean, it kind of hinges on him.

[01:00:26] You know, he's a really...

[01:00:26] So, it doesn't surprise me that he's not nominated.

[01:00:29] But if he was, I could be like, yeah, I get that.

[01:00:33] Another one that I don't believe was nominated, because I recall back to last week with the

[01:00:40] ladies, and hers would be a lead performance, was Amy Adams' Night Bitch?

[01:00:46] Was she...

[01:00:47] No.

[01:00:47] Okay.

[01:00:48] No.

[01:00:48] I've had a chance to catch up with that film.

[01:00:50] And I mean, it kind of hinges on her.

[01:00:54] So, those may be two that I could say, but those are more, you know, more independent,

[01:01:00] edgier films.

[01:01:00] Yeah.

[01:01:01] So, it makes sense that things like Conclave and Gladiator 2 and things like that are...

[01:01:07] And, you know, a complete unknown.

[01:01:08] I get that.

[01:01:09] Are getting more of the attention.

[01:01:11] It is interesting to me, though, I will say, that The Brutalist has two awards in the supporting

[01:01:20] and lead actor.

[01:01:21] Because, yeah, for that being such a, you know, a long film, hasn't even come out yet.

[01:01:27] Like, that's surprising to me.

[01:01:30] But the only name I would drop in there, as a just...

[01:01:34] I was hoping there'd be a little more discussion around them.

[01:01:38] And this...

[01:01:38] I know.

[01:01:39] The film came out early in the year.

[01:01:40] I don't think it's going to get any buzz at Oscar time.

[01:01:44] From Challengers.

[01:01:45] Challengers is one film I do feel like.

[01:01:47] It just came out so early.

[01:01:48] And I don't know if it's just off everybody's radar.

[01:01:50] But I'm really disappointed that's not getting more buzz right now.

[01:01:53] Now, I could be surprised.

[01:01:54] Nominations actually come out and it could be all over the place.

[01:01:56] But I kind of doubt it at this point.

[01:01:58] But Mike Faced and or Josh O'Connor.

[01:02:02] I think both of them are really good in that film.

[01:02:04] And I would have liked to have seen one get something.

[01:02:07] And even if it's...

[01:02:08] I don't know how they would judge lead or supporting with that.

[01:02:12] That'd be tough or all either.

[01:02:13] Zendaya.

[01:02:14] I mean, I think she...

[01:02:14] Yeah.

[01:02:15] I mean, we didn't kind of ask our thoughts on the actresses last week if there were any that were missing.

[01:02:20] But, yeah, I think Zendaya was a candidate last week as well for the actress category.

[01:02:25] So, yeah, that's the one film I'm just right now kind of bummed that's not getting more love.

[01:02:31] But, again, I know these are predictions.

[01:02:33] I know this is just, you know, the real stuff will come out in late January.

[01:02:36] And it could be very different.

[01:02:38] But right now, Challengers...

[01:02:39] There was a lot of critic love for that film.

[01:02:41] And then it just kind of...

[01:02:42] Yeah.

[01:02:42] It's interesting.

[01:02:43] And I would say it didn't stand a chance.

[01:02:45] But another film that came out in February that you would have thought would have been forgotten.

[01:02:50] But then ended up winning Best Picture and got some acting awards.

[01:02:53] Everything, Everywhere, All at Once.

[01:02:54] Oh, nice.

[01:02:55] Had a similar type of...

[01:02:56] So, there's a chance.

[01:02:58] Yeah.

[01:02:58] There is a chance.

[01:02:59] There is a chance.

[01:03:00] But, yeah.

[01:03:00] I think overall, I think other than that film and those two lead actors or two acting performances,

[01:03:06] I feel like you got the category okay.

[01:03:08] I think we're okay on this.

[01:03:10] So, I'll throw out another one.

[01:03:11] Yeah, sure.

[01:03:12] I think it was the first one that came out to mind with Hugh Grant.

[01:03:15] Sebastian Stan for A Different Man.

[01:03:17] Ah.

[01:03:18] Now, that is a film I am planning on watching next.

[01:03:21] Okay.

[01:03:21] I haven't seen yet.

[01:03:22] But I am very curious to see.

[01:03:24] And...

[01:03:24] And I can see how it is not Gladiator 2, Conclave, A Complete Unknown.

[01:03:31] So, it's...

[01:03:32] It is a smaller release type film.

[01:03:35] So, and quirky or whatever.

[01:03:36] So, I can see why the spotlight's not on it.

[01:03:39] But it's a good performance.

[01:03:42] Okay.

[01:03:43] All right.

[01:03:43] We'll be interested to see that.

[01:03:45] Interested to see that.

[01:03:46] And difficult to pull off.

[01:03:49] I think, like, difficulty level.

[01:03:51] Right.

[01:03:51] So, yeah.

[01:03:52] All right.

[01:03:53] Well, that is the acting category for the guys.

[01:03:57] The best actor, best supporting actor categories.

[01:04:01] And again, just keep in mind, guys, these are all just predictions at this point.

[01:04:06] Variety put the predictions out.

[01:04:07] We're commenting and expanding on those predictions.

[01:04:10] Nobody knows anything.

[01:04:11] And these could be all completely wrong by the time January rolls around.

[01:04:15] But again, I do think we're at a point where I don't know of any other films that are going to kind of come up and make a buzz in the next 30 days.

[01:04:24] I do think kind of on our watch list, you know, The Brutalist, Complete Unknown, Queer.

[01:04:30] Those are three that sounds like we need to make sure we're catching up with here pretty soon before we determine our end of year ballots.

[01:04:38] Is that Christmas Day?

[01:04:39] It is.

[01:04:40] Okay.

[01:04:40] But it's a Searchlight film.

[01:04:42] So, my hopes are we get access to it a little sooner than that.

[01:04:46] Yeah.

[01:04:47] So, those are the three right now kind of on the watch list as far as to catch up with and make sure we see.

[01:04:52] Otherwise, I think once we see those three, as far as one's all in the discussion going on, I think we're pretty well caught up for the most part.

[01:05:00] So, yeah.

[01:05:01] At least according to Variety.

[01:05:03] So, maybe next week, not as a dynamic topic to discuss, but still, Oscar, we could discuss, if Variety has talked about this, maybe they're still putting together their list.

[01:05:14] But Best Foreign Language Film and Best Animated Film, those two categories.

[01:05:19] Because those are ones we usually discuss on the show.

[01:05:21] Yes.

[01:05:22] We'll need to dig into those.

[01:05:23] I'm woefully behind on my documentaries, my foreign films, and my animated films.

[01:05:29] Oh, yeah.

[01:05:29] Documentaries.

[01:05:30] I guess that could be.

[01:05:31] All three of those.

[01:05:32] Sure.

[01:05:32] I'm nowhere near.

[01:05:34] So, that's going to be my December, I think, to kind of stock up on those.

[01:05:39] Maria is another one that probably needs to be checked out because of Angelina Jolie's performance.

[01:05:45] Okay.

[01:05:46] Getting some buzz.

[01:05:47] Got you.

[01:05:47] So, those four films I think we have on our kind of premier Oscar watch list viewing history here.

[01:05:55] So, okay.

[01:05:57] Well, I think that wraps it up for today.

[01:05:59] So, we had two reviews and we had our discussion of the actor categories in the upcoming Oscar nomination race.

[01:06:07] Chris, if anybody would like to talk to us about any of this.

[01:06:10] If they have a completely different take on jury number two and want to tell us how it's brilliant and all of the scripting and writing was spot on for it, have at it.

[01:06:21] Or if they want to tell us how real pain was a real pain for them and they actually do not agree with us.

[01:06:27] Anything.

[01:06:27] We open to those discussions.

[01:06:29] How can somebody get a hold of us?

[01:06:30] You can send an email to info at footcandle.org.

[01:06:34] We are on Facebook, Footcandle Film Society, Instagram and Threads, Footcandle Film.

[01:06:39] We're on Blue Sky.

[01:06:40] Also, still hanging out on Twitter, at Footcandle Film.

[01:06:44] We're also on Letterboxd.

[01:06:45] Last place we are.

[01:06:46] We try to track what we're seeing, leave quick takes.

[01:06:49] So, that's Letterboxd without an E there at the end.

[01:06:52] Al and I both have two different accounts on there.

[01:06:54] Alan Jackson and Chris Frey.

[01:06:56] That's fairly easy to find us.

[01:06:58] Do us a favor.

[01:06:59] If you like the show, consider giving us a star rating, write a review, share with friends on whatever service you receive your favorite podcast on.

[01:07:06] Because it will help us reach new listeners and we would appreciate that.

[01:07:11] All right.

[01:07:11] Well, that will wrap it up for today.

[01:07:13] We'll be back with you next week with some more film reviews and discussions and predictions.

[01:07:18] So, stay tuned.

[01:07:19] It's going to be a fun end of the year as we kind of inch towards the close of 2024.

[01:07:24] Thanks, everybody, for listening and we'll talk to you next time.

[01:07:27] See you in the Ticket Line.

[01:08:08] Special thanks to Carpal Tuller for the show theme music.

[01:08:11] For more about Carpal Tuller, visit www.carpaltuller.com.

[01:08:20] You've been listening to The Mesh, an online media network of shows and programs ranging from business to arts, sports to entertainment, music to community.

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[01:08:39] Discover other network shows and give us feedback on what you just heard.

[01:08:53] You've been listening to The Mesh, an online media network of shows and programs ranging from business to arts, sports to entertainment, music to community.

[01:09:03] All programs are available on the website as well as through iTunes and YouTube.

[01:09:08] Check us out online at themesh.tv.

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[01:09:16] To beway.

[01:09:16] Bye.