I didn’t find a lot surprises in the Academy Award nominations this week. Sure, 13 for Shape of Water seems excessive, but Dunkirk, Three Billboards, Lady Bird and others got appropriate recognition. Not so for In the Fade, though. (See below). And why 7 nominations for films from Netflix? Isn’t it sort of a TV service? Isn’t it partly responsible for the severe decline in attendance at actual movie theatres last year? Once again though, I’m happy that The Boss Baby was recognized. It won’t win but it’s a contender.
IN THE FADE: The film won a Golden Globe a couple of weeks ago and Diane Kruger won best actress at Cannes. Sadly, they weren’t even nominated for Academy Awards. That’s a gross oversight because this is a powerful and timely film anchored by her electric performance. She exudes grief and then anger building to resolve to get revenge. All that without ever overdoing the emotional outpouring. She makes it feel stark and genuine.
MAZE RUNNER: THE DEATH CURE: It was only a few years ago that young adult dystopian movies were all the rage. But The Hunger Games is over; Divergent has fizzled and others have ended or wilted. This one arrives a year late because the star, Dylan O'Brien, endured a very long recovery after an accident during filming up near Kamloops. (The film was finished in South Africa). It’s the third in a trilogy and part of the title doesn’t even seem relevant anymore. Escaping from a maze happened in the first film. Running and more running happened in the second and now those escapees are on a mission that could cause a contradictory side effect. It could foil the development of a vaccine for a deadly virus called The Flare. They’re immune and have been pursued by the evil WCKD corporation hoping to duplicate that immunity. Seems like mixed motives there.
HOLLOW IN THE LAND: Scooter Corkle (great name) has worked for years in the film industry around here and has finally made his own movie. It’s strong in settings and atmosphere; not so much in plot. It takes you on so many turns you’ll be straining to follow them but you will get a genuine picture of small town life. Everybody knows everybody’s business and is fast to object to what they disapprove of. Scooter seems to know that well. He set the film in Castlegar in the Kootenays, where he grew up.