Blank Check with Griffin & David - Critical Darlings: One Battle After Another And Oscar Predictions with David Sims

Episode Date: March 12, 2026

What time is it? It’s time to study the revolutionary texts with David “Rocketman” Sims! On our last episode before The Oscars, we’re talking about One Battle After Another, Paul Thomas Anderson’s epic about parental legacy, revolutionary identity, and a dad trying to charge his Goddamn phone. But first we reflect on the influx of last-minute Oscar narratives, before getting into One Battle After Another’s plot and politics, sidebar on Leonardo DiCaprio’s legacy at the Oscars, and finally give our official Critical Darlings Oscar Predictions for Sunday’s ceremony. Read more about Richard’s predictions at Premiere Party, See you on the other side! Sign up for Check Book, the Blank Check newsletter featuring even more “real nerdy shit” to feed your pop culture obsession. Dossier excerpts, film biz AND burger reports, and even more exclusive content you won’t want to miss out on. Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries and bonus episodes. Follow us @blankcheckpod on Twitter, Instagram, Threads and Facebook!  Buy some real nerdy merch Connect with other Blankies on our Reddit or Discord For anything else, check out BlankCheckPod.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Critical Darlings, a conversation about the award season conversation. One contender at a time. Please welcome to this stage, your hosts, Richard Lawson and Allison Wilmore. Marie, thank you for that beautiful introduction one last time before the Oscars. We are told. I know. We're here. As ever, we're here with our producer, Ben.

Hello. Hello, good morning. And returning guest, one of few returning guests. I'm back. Yeah. David Sims, hello. I'm good. Oh, sorry. Hello. How are you? Just crushing this Coke's year. I'm waking up.

I mean, we're all, I think, a little worse for the wear, given that, you know, we've been running this long Oscar race for months now. It's exhausting. Why is it so late this year? Why is it, like, 70 degrees outside of we're still on? The Olympics? But the Olympics are over. They are. They've been over.

They ended two weeks ago. I have no other answers. Because it is that it used to be end of March. And then they were like. okay, we know this is ridiculous. And they pulled it to end of Feb, but then they're like, except for if there's Olympics.

And like, the parasite year was like early February. Right. That's what we need. We need early February. I think we are also... I don't ever want to hear the word hemnet.

No. I mean, we have... I was expecting this to happen sooner, but I feel like this last week or so, we have gotten a bit of just like Oscar season too long madness where like, we have been various very bad discourses

about various nominees. Yeah, and you don't want to to talk about these movies anymore. Right. You don't want to talk about the sort of, right, fake controversy. But you're like, you run out of things to say about the movies. And so then you're just like, what are we going to keep talking about? Let's talk about how Jesse Buckley feels about cats, you know? And you're like, and not the musical cats, which would also be an interesting topic of conversation. Should I go off on that? It's like in Grand Theftado, if you commit one too many crimes, like all the police are on you. Right, right. Like, that's what it feels like right now.

It's like every single thing that is said or done about this year's Oscars causes a huge controversy. In no trouble. Lorty, no trouble. I guess he was in Wuthering Heights. Some people might hold that. Yeah, that's trouble. I think he has maintained a kind of aloof. You know, he's done a good job.

Penn. This is true. Shockingly. Not talking to anyone. I know, Sean Penn. He's going to sneak to a wind just by being like. Yeah. And I feel like people actually somewhat seem to well receive his smoking during the Golden Gloves

with mild positivity. Smoking his back is making a comeback apparently. And so he's really just ahead of the curve in that way. Leo too, I guess. Leo has also just the kind of done the thing of like, don't mind me. Yeah, here I am. I'm more insulated, I think, from Oscar discourse than the rest of you. But even the cats thing and then the Chalemay thing are the two pieces that sort of crossed into my universe.

Escape containment, is that. Where does that stuff come from? Are those hit jobs? I mean, I feel like it is always an interesting question to be like, is this APA research, you know, like being done, being playing, Because, you know, like from the Weinstein era when there was that started to become a thing, ever since then, I feel like you have to scrutinize Oscar narratives to be like, was this planted by opposing forces. In this case, I have no idea, though. I mean, like, Shalame, I don't know why. I mean, Timothy Shalemay basically was like, I don't want the movies to become like opera or ballet. These like, we're doing the discourse. Yeah, no, Karen, Carrie, we have to do it. You have to do it. You know, implying that these are just like now, like, incredibly niche art forms that are kind of like... Fossilized, hermetic art. Is this controversial for someone to say? No.

But apparently then, I guess, like, he has, also, this is not the first time he has voiced this anxiety. Because he's a child of, like, Lincoln Center dwellers. This comes up at dinner probably, like, twice a week. The opening West Side Story, you can see him being born in the background. Yeah, it was an unusual choice. The problem was in the recent thing. with Matthew McConaughey, which was some bizarre town hall. Like, I don't know what the hell that was.

That is a good question. I don't know what that was. He said the phrase, no one cares about. Right, right. And then he's like, sorry, sorry. And that was the thing. And then also that then led people to dig up, like, when he said things like this before in, like, 2019, where I think he called them, you start to feel like those are dying

art forms. And so that got brought up again. And I was like, I feel like the thing is, like, half of the people that I saw getting very happy about this, beyond the fact that I'm just like, I don't believe. believe that any of you go to see the ballet or the opera with any regularity. Sure. It's not expensive. It's really expensive.

It is propped up by wealthy people. To be clear, I love the opera. I don't go to enough ballet. I will admit, but I can't. Yeah, no, no. But, I mean, I think, like, I don't think anyone is disputing the importance of these art forms and the fact that they have been influential. But I feel like so much of the bad discourse has been like, oh, he's saying they don't, like,

they don't count for anything. And I'm like, he has a point. Like these things are really walled off and like there's a legitimate concern. Yes, that like cinema becomes like just this thing that is like a kind of novelty art form that most people are not actually connected to anymore. Well, it's like a legacy art form. Yeah. That's like we know this is important. It has a long history.

Yes, there's new versions of it. They don't culturally have the significance. I mean, do you know how many how, I mean, the attendance at my vaudeville theater is like so low these days. And I'm doing good shows. Yeah. I'm telling you, though, some of that material. The $1,000 ticket price does kind of put people off. Is it a coincidence that a lot of this stuff kind of came out at the end of the voting period?

I mean, the funny thing about the Shalome discourse is that it caught fire basically after it mattered. Like, the voting, I think, had closed. It was like the last day of voting. It was last day of voting. So it's hard to imagine that had any significant effect on the voting. Like, there just wasn't time. The vibe had already shifted because people think the vibe has shifted because he didn't win the Bafter or the SAG. And so I feel like people were like, and this is, you know, the latest evidence of the vibe shifting when it's not necessarily.

We're going to do predictions later in the episode, but like just as a like a little preview. I think that like vibe shift on Shalameh is a bit of a misread of what happened at BAFTA. I sadly agree with you. We can get into that later. But I think I think a lot of people online are. maybe, and I don't want to assume broad ignorance of like Oscar voting schedules, but like

I think they maybe don't quite understand that like voting ended last week and that like, no, the bride is not going to norbit Jesse Buckley because the movie wasn't out until voting was done. You know, I mean, maybe arguably should not everyone should be norbited.

We agreed that to Norbit is a verb. That means release something annoying in the month before your Oscar. your expected Oscar win. Yeah. I mean, it's also, like, it speaks to the power of cinema that you could release something so off-putting

that it could retroactively hurt the performance you did, you know, over, like, two years ago. Yeah. Yeah. I love that. I mean, I feel like mostly, the Timmy discourse has been, like,

people have just been looking at him too long. They've had got been too much Timmy, and it has caused people just finally be like, I am sick of this guy. So Mikey Madison will be presenting best actor, right? She will. For Nora. And the, and the, um, the, the, the, the, the,

The winner's name is going to be written on pink paper with a cute little handwriting. That's right, with a little cursive. And what if she opens it up? And its best actor goes to opera? And there's a surprise win. And they're just like the opera rich one. Yeah, I don't know. It'll be a real twist.

It's just, I think it's more just a little annoying that it's like if he loses people will be like, yeah, well, because he dissed the ballet. You don't do that. And it'll be like, yeah, well, because he dissed the ballet. No, I don't think that's why he lost. No, I think it probably would have almost zero bearing on it. If, you know, I, look, I'm glad that, like, apparently,

you know, opera and ballet companies, the world over, the nation over, have been, like, kind of piggybacking on this. Galvan Lys. Like, use offer code, like, Shalame or whatever. Sure. No, that's actually the thing I think

that actually happened. And it's like, okay, great. Like, you know, a rising tide lives all boats in that way. I mean, I was joking on Twitter or whatever. That was like, My parents are big. They love the fathom events, like, broadcasts of, like, the MAP opera, because it's, like, a way more affordable way to see the opera.

And they don't live in New York. And I was, like, little, you know, their beloved, a complete unknown, which I showed to them, you know, last year. And they loved it. I was like, if only they knew that Bob Till he was trying to destroy it for favent. I will say, the New York Times did a whole big, deep dive into the Metropolitan Opera's, like, huge financial crisis that it did right now, like, basically, like, three days ago. So it could use help. The moral of the story is, as always, support the arts. Well, because, and it's a real tangent, but, like, you know, as someone who follows theater pretty closely, like, post-pandemic, the rich donor base for, like, performing arts has completely cratered.

And, like, the rich people were like, oh, we can kind of get away with not having to, like, do that anymore. And so it is a problem. And I'm glad that there is some light on that now because, like, I would be, I don't go to the opera or the ballet. I've been to the Met Opera twice in 20 years that I've lived here. Thank you. But I would be sad and I like ambiently knowing that that's happening. Obviously, we need the Met to exist. Yes.

It can't be going nowhere. The opera is good. So I'm glad that at least people are paying attention to the fact that they are in financial ruin. Yeah. I'm not sure. Has the Jesse Buckley discourse done anything on behalf of cats? I mean, that we know of. I think there's plenty of cat fans out there.

I don't think there's a shortage of cat fandom. No, no, they're fine. David This episode Don't act so surprised Because it's a familiar friend This episode's brought to you by Mooby Yon, just kidding

Comfortable Secure, we love them They are a global film company of champions Great Cinema, iconic directors, emerging artists, always something new to discover with Mooby, each and every film hand selected. So you can explore the best of cinema, nothing more to say, I guess

Ngrong! There's a new new film coming to theaters. Yep, movie theaters. February 13th, the first Nigerian film ever in official competition again. That's pretty wild. This is a film by Akanola Davis called My Father's Shadow.

It was Bafda nominated, poetic, tender portrait of a father-son bond, framed within the political landscape of 1993 Lagos in Nigeria. It is about a father and two young sons as they journey into and around the vibrantly rendered Nigerian work. Metropolis, reckoning with their relationship, navigating the city that's in the middle of

a democratic crisis, written by Real Life Brothers, Achanola Davis Jr. and Wally Davis. Love it, brothers. Co-wrote this groundbreaking feature debut, and you've got Sofe de Risu. Oh, from Slow Horses. I love him. I hope I'm saying his name right. But he's a really good actor, and he's the star. It's worth seeing. It's in theaters.

It's great to go to a theater. It's in theaters. We love the movie puts. movies in theaters before ultimately ending up on their wonderful platform. Dang right. I'm just looking at some of the stuff they got right now.

Die my love, of course. An important watch, a necessary watch for any blankie. LaGraza, LaGrazia, the new Palos Orantino movie, which I missed in theaters. Good moment to catch up with it. The great, shall we dance?

Oh, the classic? The original. Oh, my goodness. That's fun. Like a restoration? Yeah, and look, they got a collection called Heartthrob Nicholas Cage. It's young, dreamy cage.

Well, still dreaming to me? Hey, you're very open-hearted. Anyway, to stream the best of cinema, you can try Mooby-free for 30 days at Mooby.com slash blankcheck. That's M-U-B-I-com slash Blank Check for a whole month of Great Cinema for free and then go see my father's shadow in theaters.

Please, thank you for listening to me. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Thank you, very kind. So this whole, you know, project thus far has been every week. We talk about a Best Picture nominee. We have one left, which is one battle after another. I think saved probably the frontrunner for last,

although you could make the argument that sinners last week. One battle is the frontrunner. It is, right? Guys, is everyone crazy? I mean, I'm just... It's been a long Oscar season. There's the tights. Frontrunner. I'm not saying that it is.

Nothing is guaranteed in this life. No. But it has a very hefty slate of wins. In these silly precursors, we unfortunately pay attention. And that is not vibes. That is literally one PGA, one DGA. The people write their votes down and it's the winner every time, basically. Yeah.

It is pretty consistently been at the top of everything and is going into Sunday with, like, a real, real momentum to it. I think there's potential, we'll get into predictions later. I think there's potential that it could kind of lose in some places. I think the potential, right. It's that this race has been so long and people get sick of a frontrunner. Right? Like, that's always the fear. Yeah. Yeah.

But it is a frontrunner. Sure. Yeah. And re-watching the movie last night, as I think both Allison and I did. Yes. It's really good. To me, it's on to something that Paul Thomas Anderson. It's one of those, it's, to me, similar to Oppenheimer and I know not everyone agrees about every single.

You know, where it's just kind of like the Oscars can't really pass up on something like that. Yeah. It doesn't happen that often. You have a major director and a major movie star making a big movie that. the people saw that got universal critical, like, acclaim that's about stuff that's happening right now. It just doesn't happen. And it's not just about stuff that's happening now.

It has somewhat eerily, like, seemed more prescient the more of the 2025. It's lined up, like, current events in a way that it, right? How did they do that? Right. I remember when it came out, someone was pointing out, as if this were kind of widely accepted when I feel like it is definitely not widely accepted, that like the film starts in the present day and the rest of it takes place in the near future.

And I was like, I don't know that that's definitely the case. I feel like you can make an argument for it, but I feel like part of the reason it feels, when it initially came out, it felt like maybe you could make that argument of the near future is because of the ways the MQ, the like force in it, the kind of like, it's sort of ice, it's also the military, it's also the police

that kind of descend upon the town, backed and cross for like a large part of the movie. they just kill people. They, you know, like they grab people off the streets without any pretense, really. And, you know, of any documentation. They do. I know.

Yeah, like, it's brutal. And you're like, okay, we live in that now. You know, like, that is just like how things are, like it. So any kind of edge of like, well, we're not there yet went away so quickly.

Yeah, completely evaporated. And I think one of the strengths of the movie of many strengths is that like it's not trying to one to one match like Trump era America. There are weird, you know, weird names and funny, you know, like the Christmas adventures. Like, like it feels very much of its own world. It's just like reflecting or bouncing off of what we're experiencing. I think if it was doing the opposite, which was like, you know, would be like really trying to map exactly onto what we're experiencing. It would, you'd start to

see a lot of holes. But like, in this case, you'd, you can, it's more allegorical. Yeah, and I feel like it, you know, like it is based on a book, uh, like 1990, right? Or like that's that like like, violent takes place in 1980 maybe or, or, uh, yeah, yeah, right. 1990 book, right. Yeah. Set in the mid-80s. So you have a book that like, uh, you know, was about like a totally different generation

of kind of radicalism. Uh, that, and then the present day of it is like Reagan's America. It's the peak of Reaganism. set during the 84, like, during Reagan's re-election. Yeah. When it's like he's won, those guys. Those guys, yeah, one. And, like, there, obviously, there's a lot of kind of, like, throwback DNA to the French

75 in particular, right? Like, they have this feeling of, like, in some ways, they're extremely present. And then in other ways, I just feel like kind of radicals from, yeah, the 60s and the 70s. They're interestingly, a few days ago, a writer named Hope Reeves, who was more. parents are both weathermen wrote an opinion piece in the Times being like, I really hate how non-specific the activism is in this movie that like it's not like grounded to a particular revolution in worldview. Like revolution is the cause that all of these characters keep espousing.

But that's something I actually appreciated more on this rewatch is that like they do have, especially in the beginning, they are going after, you know, migrants who, right, like, and also anti-abortion, right? Like, they do have some specific causes. But the idea of activism and the idea of, like, fighting against the powers it be is, like, a more general theme, right? Like, it kind of, it allows that, like, the particular causes can mutate as time goes on, but that it is about the idea of being a revolutionary. Yeah, I think the complaint that I'm reading the piece, and she says, like, I really, I shouldn't have expected this movie to be a battle cry about a specific. Yeah. So it's a little bit on me. So she's sort of ignited, you know, she also dinks

critics for thinking it was a rallying cry and the headline of Manola Dargis's review in the New York Times uses the phrase rallying cry. So she's, yeah, being pointed, but anyway. Sure. But I mean, like, I think some people, because Ghetto Pat is kind of like, here, I'm just here to blow things up, you know, like people see the French 75s a little flippin, a little like, what are they, you know, are they just like kind of, you know, cowboys who are just there to have, But it's like, to me, very obvious, one, that the movie is presenting to you, various modes of resistance, not just the French 75. Sure. Like, we meet the nuns. We meet Benicio's. Yeah, that's a whole separate thing. Yeah, kind of like, these are all, like, we, of course, Willa is embarking on our own, like, new, you know, form of revolution, whatever she wants to be doing.

It's not flip, like, the French 70. And I think also, like, the way that Perfidia's mom talks to Pat, like, she's like, you, you know, we don't take you very. seriously, sweetie pie. You're a nice boy. She comes from a lineage of this kind of struggle. We are quite serious. She is quite chaotic.

We are quite serious and you are clearly like, you know, a well-meaning person along for the world. There's a point where perfidia's mother calls him a stump, which is like the most brutal thing.

She's a runner, you're a stump. Yes. Yeah. But with a brutal assessment you can get as a person. Yeah. Great performance.

One of the many like incredible like two scene performances in that really like every actor. I mean, I think there is a, there is a, there is some.

thought in the movie about the way these things are generationally sort of translated and like aestheticized over time. Like are you just kind of playing the part of this or like back in my day we really meant it. And he, you know, and I think that Anderson is, you know, very much thinking about like not maybe his revolutionary life. I don't think he has one as far as I'm aware. But like about what he's imparting to his children and what like his generation is imparting to the younger ones. And saying like, yes, you will lose some things, but you might gain some new clarity. There's devolution and devolution. But it's also, I think, in ways that are very generous,

it is about being like you have ideals, but you are still a movement made up of incredibly fallible people who all have, like, personal weaknesses and some of whom were not animated with the same kind of purity of belief and some, you know, like... It's a bit of a motley team.

One of the things that I love about perfidia is that she is a character who kind of does, simultaneously seems to hold these kind of like really fervent beliefs in revolutionary ideals, but also in like enjoying like the rush of it so much and her own kind of stardom within this movement, right? Like these are all forces

that feed who she is and where she, what she does. And ultimately make her like this really kind of difficult character for all of the other ones to grapple with. But I think that's true whenever you meet and you do anything related to activism. You meet people, some people who are like

in it, you know, because they like to hear themselves talk and you meet some people who are in it because they have an enormous, like, really kind of like idealistic. Like, yeah, and some people just came from a background of that, and they take for granted that that's what they do. And I feel like the movie is good at being like, look at this huge spectrum of experiences and reasons why people get involved in this. Yeah, absolutely. You know, versus the Christmas adventurers. They're mortal enemies who are this, you know, kind of like fossilized crowd, even though some of them are younger, but like, right,

like, you know, the whole intention. One of them looks like, embalmed. Yeah, their faces are all good. Yeah. They speak the language of the the internet because they talk about the haters. Yes. Pump trash. Yes. It's a really good line.

It's very funny, but I think is also sort of telling. Yeah. And I feel like, you know, they're like, their white supremacy, is built into obviously so much of the action that unfolds and, like, explicitly built into their movement. But, like, the end goal of their movement is to prop up their own power, right? like the whiteness is also part of how they declare themselves superior human beings, right? Like they are just trying to cement not only do they deserve to have this power,

but like this is the world order. But just all the little, the Christmas adventures that I pour over, I've seen the movie several times. You know, like I think about like all the little lines like they love the tracker guy, but they would never trust him, of course, because he's not, you know, what. They say not homegrown. And also not a native son. Yeah, wait a second.

Yeah. He's like the most native son possible, like in terms of his background. When they're like, we have to shut down the chicken fingers, they're like, I really like those chicken fingers. You know, like, they know, like, the systems that support the things they enjoy. The chicken finger company is owned by a Christmas adventure. It sure is. I love all those little details. Sure.

Yeah. Yeah. It's really funny. Yeah. It's a just, I don't know. I saw it. Were you guys at Tiff? When did you see it?

I saw it quite early. After. You saw it before me. I know that for sure. I saw it after Tiff. Like an empty screening, so like no atmosphere, right? Like, you know, just kind of like, come see one about it. And I was like, right, okay.

And I just, my jaw was on the floor. I had thought, because I, watching the trailers, I'm sort of hit or miss with PTA. Some things, I mean, I adore Phantom Thread. I think that's one of the best movies of the 2010s. It's his funniest movie. It's his, it's beautiful. It's romantic. But next down the line is like, I have to go all the way back to buggy nights, you know?

And I thought that one battle, based on the Pynchon aspect and the trailer, I was like, oh, it's going to be another inherent vice where it's like trying really hard for like weird comedy. It's mostly to make PTA laugh behind the camera, blah, blah, blah. But then I started hearing from people like you who had seen it before and they were like, no, no, it's like kind of a huge epic. Like, it's really great. And I still went in skeptical because he has never made a movie like this before. No, not really, sure. Yeah. The Holy Blood is an epic, but it's of a different stripe.

And this, watching it again, I was like, the end of the movie is like legitimately approaching the line of corny. I mean, you know, but in a beautiful way, I think. It has, I mean, that it pulls off that needle drop. And we can talk about that in detail. Some people think it doesn't. Yeah, we can talk about it in detail later. But it is definitely like the most kind of sentimental. I mean, like, I love inherent bias, but I feel like, I mean, it is.

Funny how many of his movies are about this idea of this kind of like Edenic past that is kind of gone if it ever existed. But like, you know, like that you were already past the golden era. Like things are already kind of like fading. And I mean that, in that movie in particular. But like ballet. Like ballet, you know. Or the opera.

Or the opera. The Golden Age in which we all went to ballet and the opera all the time. It is no way. But we all met at La Scala, right? In Milan years ago. Yes, you do. Just rattling around. I would love to be someone who went to a little.

I'd love to go to La Scala. Teatro Cologne or Buenos Aires. All right. But like, he knows opera. I don't know. I mean, like, there's something about the way that this is Pynchon again and is about, yes, like a former revolutionary who's been rattling around just like high off his mind for 15 years now. Right.

Not believing in anything anymore. But like that has, that it ends on a note that is hopeful, I think is like really something. It's a surprise. And I mean, it's. It's a film made by a person who has children, like, and it resonated with me as a parent, obviously. Well, what other choice does... What other choice does he have or the movie have?

You know, like, you have to kind of hope, at least that you're, you know, like, there's some kind of world waiting for your kids for them to grab or change or, you know. I mean, last year we had Eddington. We had movies that had the more mordant view of, like, we might be, you know, like, you can go in that direction. But no, indeed, one battle is not, is very.

like, you know, pointedly not going in. And that kind of sentiment from him, look, there have been emotional beats in many of his movies, but this felt so raw and sort of self-referencing in a nice way that I was kind of shocked by it. And I, you know, I hate to, like, throw this up as a counter example because, like, the movies have nothing to do with each other. But you look at, like, what a formerly,

sort of prickly, edgy filmmaker like Noah Bomback did when he, like, went full sentimental with Jay Kelly, which is, I think, a horror. show. I like that movie. And I know, I know, I know. But, but like PTA, I think he, he, he, he does the sort of emotional thing that, I don't think this was his intention, but like, that gets it sort of across a certain line for the academy. But does it in his own, you know, particular way and just enough, and it doesn't overdo it. And I think that's, that's, that's, that's tricky, you know. It is still a mournful movie because it is very much about the idea that it is almost impossible

for people to sustain that server of youth and like that commitment to the possibility of changing the world, right? Like there are a few characters who continue to hold that up from the initial, the opening

French 75 sequence later, right? You have Regina Hall's character Deandra. But she's tired. And she's, no, but I mean, that's the thing. It's like her teary face at the end is like, just so heartbreaking because you're also like, you have, yeah, like you are tired.

And the thing is every single character who gets captured in forms, right? Like the movie has enormous actually empathy for that. The idea that you as a single person cannot be expected to stand up to the might of the state. Because there's going to be someone you love or some vulnerability in your life that can be exploited. And it's a trope of storytelling, a film that like, no, no, no, there are resolute heroes who would never do that. And I think the film is saying, well, I mean, like, I, rewatching it, I was like, oh, God, the scene where the kids are being interrogated about where their friend is and whether she has a cell phone. And the person who ends up kind of ratting on her essentially is the non-binary kid with the earring. And I was like, oh, is this PTA kind of being like, I don't think it is.

I think he's saying, like, what would happen if that person has the motion to Sean has prison? Right. Like, that kid knows they would be in deep, deep trouble. In an interview, PTA said that that. actor just also, because they truly were at a school picking kids out of the crowd, and that that actor just popped so quickly. And they were like, do you want to do like another scene? Do you want to do? But I think that's absolutely how I felt watching the movie of just that person has more to lose. Right. I mean, it's the same, you know, like the interrogation of Billy Goat, Howard Somerville, who's so good. Paul Grim said, he's like he's like one of the people who has kept going, right? Like a lot of the other friend 75 members get killed or end up in prison and killed or turned. Right. But like he, he's ready to stand up when it comes to sacrificing himself. Yes. When the idea comes to sacrificing your loved ones is like, that's when.

And I think like there is, like the movie has so much sympathy for the idea of informing because it is also like you, yes, like, the longer you're in this world, the more you accrue loved ones, the more you accrue people. You aren't just like thinking about yourself as this soldier in this war. You have connections. You are pulling other people in and that you can't, you cannot like fault people. for having ties, right? And if the goal is one battle after another, you have to, like, live to see another day. And also, it should pass the baton on to other people, right? And, like, Perfidia going to Mexico, you know, living to slay another day.

Like, like, you kind of understand and you wonder if Regina Hall might be kind of thinking in the back of her head, like, Perfidia maybe had the right idea. Right. You know, like, she got out and she still has the capacity. I mean, she made one choice to kind of preserve herself, which, you know, the internet has read as sort of selfish and bad characterization and all that. But I think, again, PTA is really complicating and humanizing those hero tropes. I think also, like, yeah, like, it's a movie that I feel like even explicitly says, like, you can get older and get selfish. And, like, you know, that is just part of it. Oh, you can just be Pat.

Yeah. Pat slash Bob, you know, like just, you know, older and kind of over it and kind of burned out and like not really helping anyone. out anymore. And, you know, he rediscovers a little bit of heroism, but really all he, you know, what he's doing is protecting his daughter. And even then, he does not actually accomplish in the movie. Not much. In the movie, I think, in ways that are delightful. Right. He is not helpful at all. Yeah. I mean, to the extent that he actually affects the action, it is low at the end there. I mean, I feel like the biggest thing. Just the brilliance of like, you know, like him falling off the roof or whatever. I mean, the biggest thing he accomplishes is like, is getting Benicio del Toro's

character arrested because he's not careful about when he's drinking. He's not very good. Yeah. They're not police that are working necessarily under like Sean Penn's rule. They're just like, oh, that guy has a beer in the car. Wait, can we talk about perfidia a little bit? Because I feel like you're right. Like there was a lot of kind of like back and forth and about. I mean, beyond just like Tiana Taylor, I think just is such a movie star. Like it's just like an magnetic. Yeah.

Like is, um, and I think you can definitely make the case that like the movie never quite recovers that's that particular energy, right, when she's gone, because she is just such this unique, kind of like... The mini movie at the start of the movie is incredible, right, all in it, all by itself. Yeah. But I do feel like, I really resist the idea that because Prifidia makes selfish choices, that, like, it's bad characterization because I'm like, you're allowed... Like, like, it is okay for a character to be multi-dimensional and selfish.

What's also? She's so obviously suffering from postpart depression, and it's such a, like, loud thing in the movie that people overlook. People just like really, like the fact that like that was just not part of a discussion. Her whole monologue where she's like you care about the baby more than me. Right. Like I don't feel like that is like I feel like. That's like what they give you at the doctor's office.

Yeah. And it's like in a year which has had other like very conflicted maternal portraits. Right. Like I, my love, which is like absolutely about someone that is dealing with a lot of chaos, you know, in the wake of having a child. Yeah, I'm just thinking about dying. Just because it's funny. Because it's her going like, woo. And then she was like, well, baby.

And the baby's like, oh, right, the baby. Yeah, yeah, no, right, the baby's like. Baby's fine. The baby's fine. Yeah, but, like, yeah, I agree. I feel like it is so explicit that Perfidia is dealing with postpartum depression. Right. And, like, that just, like, was taken off the table as something that, like, she felt weirdly

underdiscust to me. Yeah. But it's a movie with a ton to discuss. I understand that. Maybe it's just that she's such a incredible badass that then you feel betrayed by the movie, you know, by her, by the choices your character makes, but she's a survivor,

like what she's doing with lockjaw, you know, manipulating him. Uh, you know, sexually and all that, like, that's obviously, like, that's her being a survivor. Yeah. And then, like, you know.

There is a gorgeous and sad moment where she gets caught in the bathroom by him, and he's basically like, you can keep doing what you're doing. You just have to meet me at this place, whatever. And then she sinks back up with Leo, and there, walking away and he like taps her on her. Yeah. Yeah, and she kind of fake smiles and then her face

returns to this like, my life has just changed because I'm now fucking tied to this guy. And like, it's such a great subtle piece of acting that tells you a lot about what that character is experiencing and feeling. And yeah, the notion that that she is, you know, underserved by, by being less than heroic or whatever and an overly sexualized. You know, Tiana Taylor herself has responded to some of the criticisms about the character, especially the sexualization. Yeah, I think she can handle herself. Do you know what it's like to be a black woman in the world?

Like, you know, she has spoken, you know, about it in a way that I certainly can't. And people should seek that out because, like, she, you know, she stands by the character and the movie in a way. And I'm like, well, then, okay, good. You know, then I believe you. Yeah, yeah. And the thing is also when she leaves and she says that thing about,

like, this is a new consciousness and all of that. I'm like, I'm sorry, that is so real for someone who is, like, going to be like, I'm going to reposition the language of like my activism to defend my personal choices. I'm like, of course, people do that all the time. You know?

She knows, you know, yeah, she's conflicted internally and she's Right. That's how she's conversing it. Exactly. She is casting it as this kind of like this revolutionary choice to be like, I'm choosing me first. And obviously as time goes by, she feels much more conflicted about that choice. And I think that

the movie is very clear about that. Anyway. Yes. I certainly, I know. I don't mean to sound, I'm only grumpy about, like, I found a lot of the discourse around this movie a little trying, but like that's normal for a movie this big, a movie this provocative. And it means people are watching it. To provoke a lot of reactions that might, I might disagree with it. Of course, it does mean people are watching it, which is great. Because it really spiked when it dropped on HBO Max, you know, because much more people had access to the movie. Sure. Yeah, yeah, no, for sure. But yeah, and you're right. Like, it's like movies like Eddington or I'm trying to think of like the big provocative movies.

Blue Moon, train dreams. Well, it is crazy that train dreams had virulent discourse. Around Thanksgiving time, it had a, it had a, it's a moment in the sun, yeah. Yeah, Blue Moon just like, right, E.B. White, he never would be doing that. I don't know. I'm trying to think of what the Blue Moon discourse would be. I mean, that is the most controversial. I mean, I feel like the Blue Moon discourse was just about the height.

It's discriminatory to short-game. Or no, just being like, is this good? Are you kidding me with this? Yes. Sort of Ethan Hawk, like, walking around like that. The answer is it is good. David, yes. Watch this. Watch this.

Can you tell me what's going on? I'm trying to hit home. But it's a foolish effort because nothing hits home. Like home cooking. That's true. Oh, boy. It's really tough, man. Wait, Griffin, what are you doing?

I'm trying to hit home. home, but nothing hits as hard as home cooking. I just need a way to beat the winter blues, not get delivery, something kind of unsatisfying. It's much easier if I could choose for maybe 100 recipes every week. Cuisines from around the world. Let's see. I have 99 right here in my desk, but that's not 100. And we might have to outsource this job to someone else.

How about our friends at Hello Fresh? Yes, Hello Fresh is a place that makes it easy to do more home cooking every year with recipes that feel good and taste delicious night after night. They got more than 35 high protein recipes each week. Mediterranean options. GLP 1 friendly options. They've got sustainably sourced seafood. They've got 100% antibiotic and hormone-free chicken.

They got three times the seafood for no upchurch. That upchurch is gone. They're beefing up the seafood. They've got grass-fed steak rib-eyes. They've got seasonal produce, pears, apples, asparagus. I love 10%. of course at my palatial estate. Yeah, of course. I've been there so hard.

My manner. I love nothing more than when I can impress guests by whipping out a great recipe that I have cooked all by myself for the dinner parties that I throw nightly. And HelloFresh is great for that, but also great just if you want to treat yourself. Ben, any recipes you've been jamming on hard recently? Oh, yeah. Actually, I was just checking out old school barbecue pork sloppy dose. That's a super high protein item.

Slop it up. Yep. And we mentioned seafood. There is, of course, prep and baked hexmex salmon tacos. That is exciting, because I'm on a bit of a seafood diet right now if you catch my meaning.

Seafood, do you read it? No, I'm eating mostly, of course. Creatures from the sea. So go to hellofresh.com slash check 10 FM to get 10 free meals and a freeze willing knife. That's a $144.99 value. $144.99. On your third box.

Offer valid while supplies last. Free meals applied as discount on first box. New subscribers only varies by plan. That is hellofresh.com slash check 10 FM. 1.0 FM. So, you know, given that One Battle seems to be a frontrunner, it has won all these precursor awards. I was watching it again, thinking about like the Oscars in a new era,

like a different academy, all that. Like to you guys, does One Battle feel like a new story? sort of best picture frontrunner? Because, like, I would say there are some really old-fashioned things in there as well as the sort of modernity. There is, but it doesn't it feel kind of like, you know, similar to, I mean, look,

is the, like, obviously, PTA was always a guy that the Oscars kind of patted on the head, right? And, like, you know, like, Boogie Night's take your screenplay nom. Magnolia, take your screenplay nom. Punch drunk love, don't be weird. Finno thread, best picture.

No, no, no. Then there will be blood. Yeah, yeah, yeah. is the moment where it's like, oh, are they going to take him seriously? But they're, you know, and they're kind of like, wait, your turn. The Cohen brothers made a masterpiece. They're winning this time. You're still a baby.

And right, and they've been sort of slowly warming up to him, much like they did with Nolan. And then Oppenheimer's the moment. We're like, good job making a grown-up movie. Like, you win Best Picture. Congratulations. Yeah. And this has that vibe, too. But this is a weird movie.

I don't see this movie winning 20 years ago in the same, like, with the same ease. I don't know. I mean, yeah. It reminds me of when the Cohen's made No Country for Old Men, which is a movie that I love. Another movie that came out and got universal acclaim to the point that it was kind of like, is that it? Right, right. Is it over? But, you know, it's like, it's both like still very much a Cohen's movie.

It has like some real weirdness in there. But it felt like maybe, I don't know, like it fit more cleanly into like certain genres. I feel like into the Western. It has very exciting action, you know. It has. And I feel like that's, I mean, it's. re-watching one battle after another, I was like, yes, this is the same thing. It is still very much a Paul Thomas Anderson movie, but is one that fits within a slightly more, I would say, conventional container in terms of, yes, being about kind of action and this, like, sweeping.

Yeah, and about fathers and daughters and about, you know, particularly about our nasty government, a generation, like, like, reacting to the youth of today. Like, I think that, you know, PTA kind of putting all these jokes about, like, I don't know how to use my phone. I don't know how to ask what a kid's gender pronouns are. Like that could be so creaky and bad. But he does it in such a sort of subtle and sweet way that I think I would imagine a lot of voters like over 50 are like, oh, yeah. Like that finally something warmly relatable in a PTA movie that also has all of his signature weirdness and style. Sure. Yeah. Right. Right.

It's also, it is a movie, at least from Leo's character's point of view, is a movie about being washed, right? Like, it is a movie about, like, kind of... Choppedunk. Being chopped and dunk. He is chopped and unc. Yeah. Like, he, you know, is just like, it's not even that he doesn't want to try a bit, but, like, he's just so aware of all of the ways in which, like, kind of the tide is, like,

leaving him behind, right? Like that, and that he's okay with that, I think, like, ultimately, kind of like, it's not like he's resisting before, but he's kind of checked out, whereas I feel like by the end of the... No, the triumph of the... the movies he's going to try to use a smartphone. And I really do think, I mean, like, it's one of the moments of the movie that makes me cry, right, is that he's trying to figure out. Well, he can now because he's not, you know, is in so much hiding.

Right. I mean, he might as well be like, I used to date Fiona Apple and do cocaine, you know, like, like. No, I mean, like, I feel like there is definitely, there is definitely some of that. I think, too, he's sort of represents the malaise of just like what it feels like to live in the current moment and to be bombarded by so much shit every single day. and just how exhausting that is and how, like, how easy it is to just, like, check out. Yeah, 100%. Check out from new stuff, but also from your old stuff.

Like, he's lost the passion for what he used to do. If, you know, we don't really know how serious he was about any of these causes. Right. Like, he was clearly very exciting for him. And he, like, being part of the team. But, yeah, he doesn't. And he was in love. Right.

Yeah. But he doesn't remember the revolutionary text. What time is it, you know? Like, he's got to call the manager of the revolutionary hotline to get through. When I first saw the movie, I found that segment where he's, like, on the phone, you know, like yelling and in the bathrobe. And it felt like, oh, I was like, this is maybe a little too over-egged, like, trying to be a little too funny. On second viewing, I didn't feel that way at all. It's very emotional.

I felt his frustration at himself, you know, more, and yes, he's yelling at the guy on the phone, but he's really yelling at himself, right? Like, I think so. He's yelling at himself. He's also, like, he's frustrated by, you know, people who are maybe, you know, a little too high on being part of the team versus like, he keeps trying to make the emotional kind of like, can't you tell that I'm fucked up? Right. Like, please help me. My daughter.

My daughter's been taking, you know, like, and the guy's like, you should know. And this is, what is it like you're, what is it like you're, he's something like sort of safe space. He's like, you're, you're violating my sound. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. These are noise triggers. Right.

Yeah. To me, the funniest part of that whole sequence, which is a very funny sequence, is when he keeps saying, I don't know what time it is, and Sergio St. James just says the time. Yes, yeah. He's like, 8.02.

Yeah, because I'm like, he has such clarity. Like, he, and he knows what time it is. Yeah. Because he has to know what time it is. Yeah. Because he's in charge of something

that's very, like, proper and organized. And, like, anyway, I just think it's such a great moment. I like, like, that sequence just because of how many times, how many times Bob tries to plug in his phone. Like, he,

he gets a charge of, charger in this, like, labyrinthine kind of, like, compound that is, like, a place. It's like one of those irritating old charges we have, like, rested in a cradle. Like, he is, like, shoot away from, like, four different spots along the way where Bob keeps being, like, we have to go. You can't do that here. Sergian. Sorry, Sergio. Keep doing, like, you need to come on.

Like, we, this is not the place where you can charge your phone. Keep coming. Keep coming. Yeah. So I feel like, I don't know. Like, I, this is not my favorite Leo performance. I enjoy him in this movie. I always go back and forth on Leo.

He's not my favorite actor. It's a very, it's a, I love the performance. I guess my favorite Leo is, I don't know. What's your favorite Leo? I didn't know what my favorite Leo is. My answer was always Shutter Island, which is a movie. I adore and I think he's so locked in. Yeah.

I think the answer is probably Wolf of Wall Street. Like that's the most kind of maximum of big Leo performance. Catch me if you can. He's so good in that. That's the probably, that's baby Leo. Also for me is, and, you know, it was something I was. thinking about like look at like out of the best actor nominees this year four out of the five of them were all like child actors right they have all been acting aside from Wagner uh although we don't know

uh well i was like look this up because i was like he like did kind of like find his way into acting into an adulthood but yeah you're like otherwise you have like so much sexier oh four four actors who have been acting since they were children it's true and who have basically been like i have been plugged into their after since they were children like neo I guess the least, like I didn't watch growing pains. And neither did I. Oh, I didn't. But right.

But like, he was around. Ethan Hawke. Like, I watched like White Fang when I was a kid or whatever, you know, all those little movies he made. Like Michael B. Jordan, obviously, I watched The Wire. Whereas Wallace was on. And I watched Friday Night Lights and all that. I remember when he was dating May Whitman on parenthood.

Sure. Was he May Whiteman? I'm pretty sure it's May Whiteman. And Timmy, I guess, like, I was irked by him on Homeland. Sure. Remember you were irked some he was? And you watch Love the Cooper's every Christmas, right? I can't say I know what that is.

It's a Christmas movie he did with Marissa Tomey. And he's an interstellar because the funniest part of Interstellar is him being like, hey, Dad, what's going on the farm is, you know, I've made this train. And he gets blown up on homeland. But then it cuts to Casey Affleck. Like, because he turned. And then Casey Dawkins is like, hey, dad, how are you doing? Like, I'm like, could they have not tried to match their voices at all? What happened?

Ever since the accident, I talk like this. Exactly. Did the Earth get, like, helium in its atmosphere? But vibes wise, they're both very pointy. Yes, totally. Yeah, yeah. I mean, I feel like the problem is, like, also, as a woman of a certain age, I just, like, very much imprinted on, like, heartthrob, like, beautiful Leo.

As a man of a certain age, same. Yeah. Romian plus Juliet. And, like, it's just, like, I find him, I guess, like, him as this, like, leading man that a lot of kind of art tour directors really cling on. I don't always see it. Like, in this case, I do enjoy him being, like, the fool. Like, I think he's very funny in this. And there's a lot of pathos.

as well. But yeah, like, he is kind of like the floundering point in the middle of this movie of like all of the action.

Uh, yeah. I think something that I was seeing about this watching it again and in light of that really great Nikki Glazer joke about you,

we don't know anything about you. Like, the only thing we know about you is that you date 23-year-old models or whatever. Right. And that's why I can't make another joke.

I'm sorry for this hack-choo. And I think that was such a smart. It was a great way into the video joke. Yeah, you know, because he really, I don't know fucking anything about him. All I know about him is he has apparently one of the most incredible collections of movie posters, like, in Hollywood,

and the people, like, come to his house to see it because it's, like, really, really highly regard to it. And they're, like, they're, like, their thumbtacks to the walls. Yeah, they're all on the blue tab. Yeah. No, it's just, like, that's the one thing I know about Leo, because people, I've heard people say, like, oh, yeah, and then he, you get, you get to see his movie post. And I'm assuming this home is in Los Angeles. Like, I don't even know that.

Like, where, like, it's a good question. And I think it's in, like, Omaha. No, no, yes. And I think it's to his advantage, like, that he, that you, he, you can watch him in a movie. And, yes, you are receiving some, like, known leoness. But, like, he can kind of really fit, fit himself to a movie's knees, right? Sure. But I also find myself kind of, like, yearning for a little bit of a deeper context with him.

Right. He has no public-facing persona at all, really, aside from, like, he's Leonardo DiCaprio. He loves models. He loves running on the beach. Yeah. And he loves movies. And he likes environmentalism. For a while, that was the only Leo thing

was it was like, well, he loves like electric cars. That was his like chosen, like personality. Yeah. I mean, that's why the Jennifer Lawrence video with him where the variety actors and actors where she is clearly like trying to get as much of a rise out of him as she can is so interesting.

Because she is fearless about it because she's an A-list actor who's about to work with him. Again. She almost gets him a couple times. And that's why everyone loved him at the Golden Globes talking to. It is Teana, right?

Yeah. Like where he got kind of He's an personality. Right, you see him being silly. Yeah. Because he's talking about like K-pop demon hunters with her or whatever. Can we sidebar on Leo's Oscar history? Because I remember I had a friend in college who was a huge Leo fan.

Yeah. And was so invested in Leo getting snubbed constantly. Yeah. Not winning. Right. Yeah. And then eventually he wins for The Revenant, which is a very harried.

And dramatic, serious performance. He has everything he went through. That was the year where he really like pressed the flesh. He went all in. It was time. Dinners. He did all the campaigning and all that. Right.

Do you think he has any shot this year? No. No. I don't think he ever had any shot, really. I think he's at four or five. Like, I think he's pretty low down. I just think because he's won. And I think everyone takes him for granted.

The Academy takes him for granted. And I think that that taking for granted sort of is sourced in, an original resentment. So, like, when he first, his first Oscar nomination in 1993, I believe, was for, what's eating Gilbert Grape, you know,

and that performance is arguably not stood the test of time. It's a good performance. Yeah, yeah, whether it represents with anything in the real world, who knows. But, like,

but back then, I think that the academy was like, oh, here's this, like, stringy, interesting kid who did this big transformation. Let's keep an eye on him. Totally.

And then, just a couple years later, he emerges as what Allison and I were like, boy, y'all, you know. And that's when the Academy is like, fuck this guy, this pretty boy, blah, blah, blah, you know, and they really treat him like that. They will nominate him for things. No, but they, but they really...

Yeah, they stumped him for Titanic. You know, they, he does... Those are also like the pussypussy era, right? Like, the pussy pussy pussy thing was happening. I think there was a lot of resistance to, like, you're, you're a teen idol, not a great actor. And like, you know, Matt Damon gets nominated best actor, the year, the Titanic.

here. Right. And, like, I mean, Damon's good and good while hunting. Yeah, but he kind of... But, like, that's them being, well, we thought this was good. This guy's acting. You are just pretty. You know, like, it really fell out way, because, like, Titanic, everything else gets nominated, you know. And the screenplay hilarious. The pussy posse

thing, which, you know, was sort of coined in this Nancy Joe Sales article for New York Magazine back in the late 90s, is a fascinating time capsule to read. If anyone listening has not read it, please go seek it out. It's really interesting. And, you know, Leo does not... It's called Leo Prince of the city, I think.

It is about, I guess, if you don't know what the pussy pussy is, it is about this, like, group of... Oh, him, Toby McGuire, some other folks. Lucas Haas. Lucas Haas. Yeah. David Blaine at some point, I believe, was... I think, yeah, there was some, like, adducent, yeah.

But then he disappeared. Yeah. And they were just, like, they were notorious for, like, going out and raising hell. And there's apparently a film called Dawn's Plum that they made, a friend of their directed. Definitely. Yeah, like, Leo has actively worked to bury. He's, like, buried it.

There's, like, offensive stuff in it, whatever. So I can understand, given that that was his origin story and Ben, that he was struggling to get, like, really serious consideration at, you know, in the industry that now he has completely been like, I don't give you anything of my personal life or my, you know, my personality because, like, I did that when I was a kid. And look, if you're that goddamn good looking and you're making that much money and in these, like, I can't say what I would have acted like, probably not well, you know. Yeah, yeah. He seems to have somewhat reformed. But, yeah, so his privacy is based on something that, like, when he used to live very publicly, and so I get it. But the movie of the Oscars treated him, I just feel like they were like, you're fine.

You don't need us. Like, you're already a big star. And he was earning, like, he could open movies. Yeah, totally. Big directors really wanted to work with him. Like, you know, he had snub for Titanic fine. They snub him again for Catch Me if you can, but that's the sort of dual year with gangs in New York,

where he gets kind of bad reviews. and I feel like there was just a little bit of like... There was confusion about it. Wait your turn. Yeah. And then he gets the second nom for the Aviator, which is like this level up project for him. He produces the movie.

He works with Martin Scorsese again. He plays Howard Hughes. He plays a Hollywood. And that, I feel like is when the Oscars started to be like, fine. You are now in the club. You will get your nominations. Like, you're a consistent presence.

But don't, you know, you're going to wait for a win. You're going to wait for a win. But still, like Blood Diamond, Wolf of Wall Street, Revenant. Yeah. You know, like, well, it was a little. long gap between Blood Diamond and Wolf of Wall Street, but I feel like that's when Leo's making movies kind of angling for an Oscar that aren't, you know, aren't really connecting like a Jay Edgar

or whatever, or he's making things like Inception. That won the Nobel Prize. That won the Nobel Prize for Try Again. You know, departed Revolutionary Road and Jay Edgar both feel like Oscar plays. Oh, yeah. Oh, where everyone was like, well, sorry. Yeah. And like, like, this. Like, Winslet didn't even get, like, ultimately. But Michael Shannon did, right? Michael Shannon did. He's not well!

Yeah. I hate that movie. But, like, also departed was a significant turning point for him in one way, which, you know, whatever. But I remember seeing that movie in the theater, and when Leo first shows up kind of scruffy, like, I was like, wah, while we while, he's a man. Like, it was when he grew up, you know, and then he could kind of reshape his sort of star persona. And that kind of thing is what led him to be able to do. the Revenant credibly, I think, for people. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, and obviously, like, you know,

it's just the Hollywood thing of, like, especially when you look at Leo's career. Like, he just would work with giant directors, get giant movies made, and they would usually make a ton of money. And there's just not a lot of people doing that, especially as the 2010s come along. Is there, like, a biggie director he hasn't worked with yet?

Like, he's done Nolan, Spielberg. ETA was definitely the sort of big, like, can he check that one off, right? Yeah. Yeah. Because they've been circling each other all the way back to Bucky Night. Yeah. Yeah, everyone's... Adam Schenkman.

I don't... I mean, I think that for the question is more just like there are not that many big directors. Well, the question is also is that could be work with a woman. He hasn't worked with a female director basically ever, like that very, very long time.

Which is a kind of stain on his record. Some people point that out. Like, yeah, I mean, you know, we hold movie actors sometimes to, like, you know, these weird sort of like, why haven't you done this? And I'm like, I don't know, he's a movie actor. I mean, he also just, I mean,

as someone who has liked a big paycheck, you know. He usually will get your, he'll get a big paycheck. has affected the particular types of movies that he has made. Yeah, if it's like $20 million or, you know, I think it's partly because directors come to him being like, I want to make an exception. Exactly.

And even I, Christopher Nolan, might need you, Leonardo DiCaprio to actually get $200 million to my dream thief movie. You know what I mean? Like, even I can't explain this movie like in an elevator pitch. Are you kidding? It takes me at least 10 minutes to explain the premise.

Right. The movie is an instruction manual. Paris folds on itself. It sure does. Well, I mean, I think the thing that is interesting to me about Leo's recent choices are the ways in which those parts I mean like Ernest Burkhart and Killers of the Flower Moon

and particularly the narrative of killers where they were like he is not going to be the proto FBI agent and that's like the movie's gonna be based around that like the initial envisioning you know we're going to reshape this movie to be driven by the indigenous characters it's rude that they stumped him for that too he's so good in that but like he's playing these characters

that are deliberately, yes, like no longer the center of the story, right? Like, I mean, the funny thing about, like, Bob Ferguson is that he is, like, this floundering character in the middle of all of this action, right? Constantly. Like, he is not the one driving things forward in any way anymore.

And it's a funny performance, I think, but that is also probably the reason that it was number five. Like, he's, like, four or five and, like, the kind of, like, the, like, chances are winning. But I also, the main thing is also just that he's won. If he hadn't won an Oscar, he'd be winning this year, right?

Like, it's just, you know. Well, the longer it takes, it's why. Bradley Cooper is going to play, like, a bucket with a face drawn on it at some point. And they'll be like, we have to give you an Oscar. You have 14 nominations. Like, it's gotten out of hand. Right? You know, like, there just comes a point where they're, like, where they're sweating about how many, like, Amy Adams, it'll happen to her someday.

Or it won't. Well, I don't know. She may have actually, like, thrown a witch down a well or something. I don't know what happened. Yeah. Uh, David? Right. Right.

Right. Right. Right. I am correct. that's your name. It's time to take a break from your school or work routine, but stay consistent. That's the tough balance. We should have a school routine. Take me back to school, baby.

Well, you have a school routine. You've got to get kids to school. Well, that's true. That is a school routine. All right. Well, can I take a break? No, you can. Okay, okay, okay.

Take a break from that while staying consistent with your health. I do need to do that. Because AG1 provides easy support with travel packs to celebrate the adventure. We love you, AG1. Age 1, you know, you're a big fan. We've talked about all the time. It is a load-bearing product in my life. Exactly.

It's holding this batch of popsicle sticks and pipe cleaners that I call Griffin Newman together. And they've been a sponsor for so long. It makes me so happy every time they re-up, and it makes me so happy every time a new bag of powder gets delivered to me via mail. And they've really leveled up, you know? It used to be, oh, blank check needs to get the word out about AG1. They got Hugh Jackman as a sponsor now. That's true. Hugh Jackman's doing video ads saying that's how he stays healthy.

He needs it. And we have the same body. We look the same. AG1 has the same effect on the two of us. Ding dong. All right. Hello, Craig. Who's at the door?

Hello. I thought I could maybe offer my support to help be an ad read character for her to AG1. Okay. Are you Hugh Jackman? No, I'm Do Gray Scott. This is weird. Is it? It's a little awkward.

Duke, Scott, you're married to someone. I was recently. Clair forlani. Yeah, love it. Yeah, I love her. I don't call her it. I say I love her. Well, that's good. Yeah. Hey, you've been happily married for almost 20 years, so congratulations to you. We'll see you later, Drew Grisha. Yeah, appreciate the sports. Slam.

Anyway, AG1, you know, it's a daily health, drink clinically shown to support your gut health, fill in some nutrient gaps. It's got 75, more than 75 ingredients, including clinically studied probiotic strains, replaces the need for multibitamin probiotics and more. So, it's one consistent scoop, right? That's why you like it. just one scoop and it's over with. I dump it into my shaker filled with eight ounces of water. I shake it up and I drink it and it goes down real nice. Look, we've showcased that AG1 fits very deeply into your life.

Okay? So go to drinkag1.com slash check to get an AG1 flavor sampler and a bottle of vitamin D3 plus K2 for free in your AG1 welcome kit with your first AG1 subscription order. Only while supplies last. That's drinkag1.com. Check. All right. So predictions.

I feel like we could focus on the quote-unquote big six. Sure. I will only be focusing. Eight, big eight. We're writers. We're writers. We can't dismiss writing. So that's adaptive screenplay, original screenplay, supporting actors, lead actors, director, picture.

Right? Yeah. So I'm assuming we're all exactly on the same page. I'm very stressed out about the, yeah. I don't know what I'm doing here. It's a year where there are a few, like, stone cold certainties for me and then other categories where it's just like I genuinely have no idea. Right. I mean, F1 best picture locked. It would already be right.

Everything after that. They already announced that. Yeah. Yeah. Let's start with screenplays. Okay. Okay. Because I feel like that's kind of easy. I mean, it just feels like, yeah. That's the easiest. Sinners in one battle. Like, we'll put it. Yeah. And that was reflected at the WGA Awards. this past weekend. Now, I assume it the WGA's sentimental value

and it was just an accident or not in contention, right? Because the WGAs tend to not be able to feature international movies. And like, I've seen the argument of like, oh, could it was just an accident win here as the sort of like award for Jafarati? That's the only real sort of argument

I can see against sinners winning. But I have predicted sinners from the beginning there. And also, I don't know. I mean, I can understand people wanting to give an award to Panahi, but I just don't feel like the momentum has been here. No, the movie didn't quite. I mean, the movie did great.

It won the Palm Door. It's not short of praise, yeah. But right, it did not quite connect on the Oscar level. We had predicted maybe a few months prior. I also, yeah, I mean, in a way. I think it's a brilliant movie, but like one might think, well, you know, what's going on with Iran right now? Sure. It would lead people to that movie.

But I kind of think the opposite might have been true, you know, during voting where people were like, I don't want to deal with that. I have no idea, but I think sinners, you know, this is, I pointed this up, but like, this is where Spike Lee won his Oscar, this is where Jordan Peel won is Oscar. Like, they often get, yeah, yeah, right, right, right. This sort of like, fresh young to, well, Spike Lee's not a fresh young director, but like, but like the cool, like, we're not going to give you best director. Yeah. So we'll give you this as the kind of consolation prize. Right. Which is sort of ironic because I think we all think that Paul Thomas Anderson is winning for adapted screenplay where he's also the frontrunner director, but. But I mean, as a work of adaptation, this is the strongest. Well, because he changed a lot, right? Yeah.

Yeah. Interesting adaptation. Obviously, it's also just right. It's a, you know, the writing of the film is the standout. And he said in some interview like 10 years ago, like, he was asked about favorite books or something. And he was like, oh, Vineland, which is the pension novel, is really high up there. I'm either going to adapt it or just rip, rip it off. Like, you know, like.

And he went the. the former route. I mean, I guess Hamnet is sort of the nominal runner up there, but I think that was the other too, yeah. But I do feel like, for one, Chloe Zhao has an Oscar or two, possibly. Two?

I wonder. Yeah. And I just feel like the hamnet, you know, juices. Yeah, it's not loose. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yes. Hamnet juice. Yeah.

This week's episode is brought to you by Hamnet juice. Oh. Miss your kid, dry hamnet juice. Yeah. Tears. All right. So, we've settled that. Yeah.

Screamly, I think those are locked. I think they're the most locked. Yes, yeah. It's also like the least helpful in terms of like the biggest kind of call here. Right. Right. There's an opportunity. Right.

For the two biggest movies. Right. All right. Well, then let's do supporting actor, supporting actress. For actress, I'm going to go Tiana. I think it's a call. I think it's a solid call. Yeah.

It's sort of, she was so great when she won the Globe. Yeah. And it felt like, great. Is this it? Like, are we going to do a bunch of Tiana speeches? is this is going to rock. And then it's been such a funny season. So Madigan won the SAG and the critics choice.

Critics choice. And then when we won the BAFTA. Yeah. Right? L won nothing. No, she gets nothing. The Sentinel and Valley girls went nothing. Nothing.

Nothing. Not even their father's love. Or in L. Fanning, sort of a, you know, kind of a figure. Yeah. Well, they're splitting the vote in theory. Sure. Yeah. I'm predicting.

So I have predictions, formal predictions on Premier Party.com, my newsletter, please go read it, subscribe, all that. I'm predicting Madigan only because Madigan thus far has won two of the televised awards, not the critics choice.

It has any barriers in the academy. For whatever sick freaks wanted to see that. And SAG does have significant overlap with the academy. Yeah. So does the BAFTA. So Masaku is definitely not out of it. But I think that she had a little hometown advantage in the UK.

Yeah, yeah, for re-watching sinners for last week's episode. Her part is not, I think, quite substantial enough, but I could be totally wrong. She's great in it. She's so good in it. It's sort of, you know, she has two, like, killer scenes. Yeah, yeah. She's great throughout, obviously. Whereas Madigan kind of walks away with the last...

The argument against Madigan is the sort of, like, the relative rarity of the one-nomination movie, you know, napping a big award. But it does happen. Yeah. And a horror thing that's... Right, in a movie. It's not really Oscar. I can do people wanting to give that movie something also.

I agree. I will predict Madigan kind of, like, very kind of tentatively, though. I think this is the hardest of the acting category. I would agree. Yeah. I think it's a... She's also... She is, like, she's mild royalty.

Like, I know people don't talk about Amy Madigan much. But, like, you know, she's a really respected known name to older voters. And she's married to... She got a nomination like 40 years ago. She did. And she's married to a very... a well-known person, and she's, like, been at the Oscars many times. And I just think, like, I think so many people in the Academy love that story of, like,

Craigor being, like, knock, knock, semi-retired, like, good actor. I wrote a part essentially for you. You want to do it? You know, and then her just crushing him. Yeah. Yeah. And, like, it making a lot of money, and she's handled it well. Her speeches have been good.

So that's why I'm predicting her. But this is also one of those great categories where it's like, I'd be happy if any of these people won. Yeah. You know, all right, supporting actor, you know, I think we talked a little bit about this last week maybe, but like, you know, Kyle Buchan has been saying since like December that his conversations in L.A., Sean Penn had this in September, and it's never wavered, even though critics groups gave things to Benicio and it's been, you know, Stellin won somewhere. Right. The way it's broken out is, like, the critics groups in a large number for Benicio. The critics' choice went to Jacob DeLordie. The Golden Globe went to Stell and Scarsars. SAG and BAFTA both went to Penn? Who won Banda?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So that's been... Which is, like, where he reemerges is like, oh, he was the front row the whole time. And then there is the mystery thing of, like, and then, like, the Oscars just threw Delroy Lindo in there. Like, where, like, some people are even kind of drawn to, like, could he just kind of, like, out of nowhere?

You know, like, it's that excitement. I mean, some of the brutally honest ballots I've read across various outlets recently, more than a few said Delroy Lindo was their vote, you know? Who knows? That's not representative of anything necessarily. But... But again, with Lindo, who is great in his movie, was definitely overlooked for Defive Bloods a few years ago. And I'm sure that there is some mind toward correcting that, you know, egregious oversight.

But Penn is in much more of the movie. And he is somebody, despite all of his weird personal shit, like that the Academy really obviously likes him a lot. Yeah, to me the argument on him is giving a third Oscar, Penn. It is a little bit. Sorry, Allison, what do you want to say? Well, I was just going to say it's also like it feels like a classic supporting role in that it's just like a bigger like I think borderline cartoonish at times performance. Like it's this kind of like outsized caricature. He's really good though.

And he really leans into that. And I feel like. And the existence of RFK Jr. really is another one where it's just like, did he know about this? That scene where he runs over that bear and then it's in his freezer. But they both have this kind of reddishness, this like underlying kind of like they've been holding their breath. and bracing for a long time, just like permanently. And the physical, I mean, there's a physical aspect of the, you know, the transformation. Why do you wear, why is your t-shirt so tight?

So you guys are predicting, Penn. Yeah, what about you? I think actually, I just based on total nothing, just a whim, I'm going to go with Scars Guard. Okay. I'm torn because I've long, because Scars Guard, it's just the kind of performance they love. It's a similar, you know, it's a career award, which, like, he's really. everywhere. And like he's gone from like reliable Hollywood guy plays

grumps to kind of like he's in every franchise. He's sort of a delightful grandpa. Like the Mamma Mia thing really transformed him into like he can be funny. Like he can be jocular. And then like he gives interviews where he's very candid. He has an army of children that we all worship like all that, you know, just the kind of he and Alexander were kind of like on the film festival circuit together. He sits at the head of the table in Valhalla. Yeah, basically.

All of his enormous sons. And obviously also that the Oscars over-indexed on sentimental value has me looking for, like, do they want to give him an award? So I'm predicting him, but kind of, again, like very weakly. Like, I don't really know. This is based entirely on, like, a whim for me. Yeah. Yeah, the over-indexing on Sentimental is interesting. And it's just because I'm an I over-index on, they don't like to give people multiple Oscars, which I'm often wrong about.

Like, I was wrong about Emma Stone. Francis McDormand. Her I saw coming up. I love friends of a McGorridge Christoph Wals Yeah that was a weird one Because everyone had an Oscar

His for his but still Yeah yeah yeah yeah But like a third Oscar for Shodbath A third Oscars a lot And you have the opportunity to give Del Rilindaugh-Linda or Stellan Scarsgard Two guys who don't have a ton of years ahead of them Yeah totally

Like who have You know who are like these Invaliable journeyman character actors From very different traditions That would be exciting if either of them won a lordy, congrats kid, like,

yeah, you're tall. Yeah, he's very tall. Don't hit your head. Congratulations. All right. So let's go into the,

look, director, it's PCA, right? Yeah. Without a doubt. Yeah. Or what about the Cougler case? I,

okay, I'm leaning towards Cougler. I think mainly out of like, maybe having like immersed myself in the discourse too much. Yeah. I do feel like there has been notable pressure

lately in terms of like pushing like how much even when a film from a black director wins Best Picture do not win Best Picture it's you know It's happened twice

And there is like yeah Like what like no black filmmaker has ever won Right Yeah 12 years slave And Mooncreen and Moonlight didn't Yeah And so I feel like that way of pressure I mean I feel like it's so obviously

Like these bigger The biggest like awards are like Going to be split between these two movies or like the choice is between these two like kind of movies that have been in that like the lead of nominations have been in the lead

of the discussions forever yeah so I'm just kind of thinking I don't know maybe this no I think you're I think there's a possibility will happen I also think I think that you David and Griffin have talked about this on blank check

the Ray Fines problem where people I think if someone off stage People are like oh and he already won yeah like sure well Ray Fines no he got one in the 90s for one of those people know PTA hasn't won I think so much of his narrative

is like how does this is out of control? We got to fix this. I think he's a mortal lock. Whereas I'm sure voters think like Coogler has definitely an Oscar in him. Google's also like 12 years old. Like I mean like it's part of his charm where you're just like, how are you so young

who made so many hits? I think he's like my age. What is he like 38 or 39? He's a month younger than that. That's young for. And I've only made two billion dollar movies. Right, right. That's true.

You got to get on that. No, wait. No, he's... Pick up the pace. And DiCaprio's posters of both of them in his home. I just think Coogler...

I think PTA is a lock for director, of course. He'll prove me wrong, Academy. I mean, like, maybe he loses. And again, we are not saying what we want to win. We're just kind of trying to think with the Academy's psychology in mind. That said, let's move on to the acting, the lead acting categories.

I think Bass Stature is total toss-up. No one has any idea. Yes, yeah, it's the... Rind's... It's been so great. I mean, it has made it. it's such a kind of like weird, boring blank spot, you know, where you're just like, she's more.

The exciting thing was like Will Roseburn get in as a nominee? Right, right. And I love that she did get in. I mean, but yeah, like there was never, there's just been so little question about Jesse Buckley being the winner. What leads to that level of confidence? Because I've heard that, too, from all season. But, like, where exactly does that come from? Is it just everyone talking to each other?

It's an intuition. I mean, like, that movie, Hamnet, um, premiered at Tilly room. And the word from on the mountain was like, oh, she's pretty good in that. No, the word was Oscar done. Yeah, yeah. And it's never changed. And then I, yeah, I think I saw it in Toronto. And I was like, oh, right, that's so obvious that she's going to win.

And I don't can't really. Here's what it is. But it's just perfect in every way. Like, one, does she play like a wife who cries? Correct. You know, it's the Vince McMahon meme where they're like, yeah, yeah, yeah. And I'm not trying to dismiss the, I'm just talking about like the sort of

of the cold-bloodedness of the academy. Like, two, is she, like, a young-ish actress, aka in her 30s, established but still coming up? Yeah. Like, it's sort of an ingenue. They love that. You know, but then, like, but leaping to a new level. And three is, like, she a prior nominee.

So it's kind of like, great. Here's your, here's your, you know, it's Emma Stone. It's just like, here you go. You've, you've proven all your bona fides and, like, now you're the best actress this year. She's classy. She's from a, different country, you know.

All of that. And the competition is fairly weak, no offense to it. Like, it's like, you know, it's a bunch of weird movies. I mean, I think that also a lot of the other, you know, contenders, like, I think that, I mean, I don't know this, but it just has felt this way that I think a lot of the studios distributors behind the other nominees, they saw Buckley in TellerWrite and we're like, Rose, we'll get, we'll do a campaign for you, but we're not going to, like, you're not kind of win this. So, like, I think they kind of, like, put their, took their foot off the gas

a little bit, you know, you know, right, like, Bern, Rose Byrne, who'd be my winner, her movie's quite hostile. Nomination feels like the reward. Kate Hudson, it's also kind of the nomination feels like the reward where they're like, you know, good job sticking around, like, in, after like, like, years in the wilderness. Also, I mean, that was a movie that, like, people, no one was, like, taking very seriously. Otherwise, as an Oscar can take it. But it did make money. Yeah. And, like, you know, and she hit the campaign. And our previous guest, Sam Sanders, made a very good case, a very compelling case for Kate Hudson in that movie, so which I appreciate. No, I mean, but I do think the nom is the reward.

And, you know, like Emma Stone, and does deserve a third Oscar for Bagonia, I think, and it's sad that she won't get one. Emma Stone winning the Oscar for Borgonia as her would be, I think she would be like, can we, can we double check? Guys, don't make me go on there. She would be in the audience, like, no, I'm good, I'm good. It's okay. Someone else. Who was number two? He'll start to go up for someone, like, said something.

And then, like, Renata, like, I love her. I guess there's a world where you could argue for her in terms of, like, she's also, like, been around for a little while now, and she's proving herself over and over again. But, like, it's a more internal performance. It's an ensemble. Yeah. You know, like, it's not quite a certain. Look, we obviously liked worst person. We gave it a couple nominations.

We did not nominate you. But we did see you. We saw you. And now you're here and welcome. and good luck in the future, but we're not, you know. I do you think it's a little bit of that. Yeah. Yeah.

I mean, it's just, it's just she's, she goes through every single big. Right. It's a very big performance. I just, they love that. And when Jesse Buckley is on stage and devoured, getting devoured by cats, that someone has set loose, then we'll have our Oscars, uh, cheer moment. Yeah, it'll be really beautiful. Yeah.

Um, all right. Best actor is where I think my predictions on, again, on Premiere Party. dot com, run into some trouble because, like, I am predicting Shalameh to win, and I know that people would say, like... I mean, he has been the frontrunner. Except that he didn't win BFTA, he didn't win SAG. But as we sort of teased earlier in this episode, Bafta was a homegrown kid for a British movie that they liked and was a hit.

And, of course, that worked out very well. He had won the prior year. He'd won the... And I do think that matters. Like, I'm like, I don't think it matters at SAG if they had won. 20 years ago, but they voted for him last year. Yeah. Like, I do think SAG voters take that into account. I agree.

And I think that they... Who did they give it to again? SAG? Yeah. Yeah. That was cool. Which is why... That was pretty cool. No, it's great that Jordan won.

I would be thrilled to see Meckleby Jordan win at the Oscars. He's, you know, one of our few movie stars remaining. Yeah, totally. And it's exciting that he kind of is leveling up with this. I mean, I think he's been great... And it's also, like, again, like,

right, you're using your cloud. to make something interesting. Yeah. And may he continue to do that? And he's playing twins. Yeah. So again, this is not who I want to win necessarily. It's just that like I think it's okay to want him to win.

Yeah. Also, we know that you're secretly Club Shalomey. Here's why I want. Didn't she abandon him? Yeah, I think she's on to the heated rivalry or whatever. Yeah. Yeah. That's sad.

That's actually like, that is no Sherman-esque shit. That is like, I mean, honestly. Not sure. Sorry. Benedict Arnold. Yeah. I mean, like, I feel like there is maybe. no more sign that like that died is turned for Timothy

Shalameh abandoned by his biggest potentially scariest fan partly potentially yeah part of why I want if I did want if I did want Shalemate to win

why I would want him to win is like it would be so nice and lifting of a burden if going forward there wasn't this fucking Shalame Oscar discourse around everything he did true but you're kind of

signing up for the Leo experience. Yes. Yes. Of like he made another big movie. You're going to do it this time? Let's get it out of the way. I got to eat a liver for you to, you know, actually do it.

And I do feel like this is such a like dominant, like performance in a big movie they ostensibly liked, although no one's talking about Marty Supreme lately, but they gave it a bunch of noms and all that. And he's, you know, in practically every bit of the movie. Yeah. He does, goes through every emotion. He got.

it to like basically a hundred domestic. This is a movie about table tennis in the 50s. Like these are these are feats of stardom. Like Leo didn't get one battle to 100 domestic. No. Like, uh, so all these things are things you'd think matter. Uh, I would predict him, but I don't know. I don't, I, I cannot.

The vibe shift does feel quite profound here. And, and Jordan does have the win at an overlap. And a, you know, like that. There's a lot like the actors are the biggest branch of the academy. They gave him the actor prize for, you know, they gave that to Jordan. So like, by the numbers, you'd be like, well, Jordan is definitely the frontrunner. And I think a lot of the odds on that gold derby are saying that. And look, again, I could be totally wrong.

I just have this sense that like kind of almost like with Sean Penn before, you know, he once started winning things. It's like maybe Chalamee's kind of been in the front the whole time and we just didn't know it. But sometimes that can get people sick at you. Yeah. I mean, I feel like he has been in the front. the whole time. Yeah, I think so. I'm going to do the Cannes pick.

I'm going to do Wagner Mora. I think that's a fine pick because that has, you know, look, I mean, at the New York Film Critics Circle, he triumphed in a three-way battle. Yeah. That was very close. I mean, there's a lot of, I feel like he has been floating in, like, third, second to third, this whole time, like, for a while. And I feel like there is a world in which the, like, split votes for these, like,

multiple famous people end up kind of, like, leaving space for, and I feel like it also, the ways in which it would just rile up the discourse. It would be very interesting if you're on. But no one could get mad about it. No one could get mad about it. I think there would be a little bit of bafflement from, you know, the sort of wider audience of like,

wait, what's this one? It would be sort of like Olivia Colemanish, you know, in a way that more people had seen the favorite. But like, like, yeah, the thing about Olivia, she beat Glenn Close for a movie nobody liked her saw, right? Like, everyone knows Glenn Close, but nobody liked the wife. Sorry, the wife. Don't come after me, the wife.

How? dare you. Wife stands. Don't throw peanuts at me on the airplane. Doesn't that happen in that movie? I haven't seen an airplane. Max Irons, isn't it? He is.

He is. like who's like, you know, arguably somewhat due as well. Like, people would be like, what the hell? Yeah, Ethan Knox's first over lead domination. Sure, he's only got three acting nominations. Training Day, boyhood and this. Boyhood and this, right, yeah. And then he's got two screenplay knowledge for the befores.

Right. Yeah. Yeah. Well. Anyway, so I, again, I think we're all picking someone different or no, you're saying Shalame too. You guys are both Shalemay. Okay.

And Mora. I'm like a very, I'm like a very, soft, soft, Salome. Just to just. Let's put it up. Yeah, let's cover our basis. Because I really, Timi is the one where I feel the vibe shift

a little harder, even though, like, right, my logicy brain of like, SAG is, well, he won last year, you know, like,

that doesn't mean, like that much. Like, I don't know. I do feel it a little bit in the water. Yeah, and SAG doesn't always translate, you know.

No, SAG is insane. They gave him a blunt an award for the quiet place. They gave it herself a best supporting actor for Beasts of No Nation, right?

Like, they've had some, like, pretty, like, Out there wins. Yeah. Yeah. Right?

There's probably some others I'm not thinking of. Oh, no, there definitely are in Sag's past. All right. So let's call it. BP. Yeah.

I mean, I feel like it's won battles, you know? So, right, this is interesting. You think possibly sinners would split in director but one battle.

I think one battle is fairly locked because of the PGA, which I know is such a boring reason. Yeah. But that was just sort of the one last thing I was looking for because... The Gulf Association. Yeah, right.

I just need to know if it would get... Jacket in this time of year. No, because the PJ has a preferential ballot, this is the boring technical thing, right? Like the same way that the Oscars do. That one battle won that suggested for me what I've known all along, which is like, it's in everyone's top three, basically. Yeah, the ranked ballot thing. It's just a little bit more polarizing.

Like, some people don't like a movie about vampires. Yeah, you would probably assume that, like, the majority, like, a majority of those ranked ballots were, you know, one, two, the... But, like, yeah, one battle is somewhere toward the top of a lot of them, where, you sinners probably has more yaw. Slightly. It's, you know, definitely many people's number one, but, like, maybe it's down to six or seven for other people, you know?

It's what I think will happen. I don't actually think F1's going to win. I'm got money on it, so, you know, I'm hoping, but. Big, big, big, big, well. Just so, I'm just trying to imagine just, like, the next morning waking up to, Bagonia sweep, like, you know, with the weirdest, you know, because I do think. What would, would that be the weirdest? Train dreams all over the place.

Yeah. Yeah. I think Bagonia sweep. would be the weirdest of the 10 to win best picture. Sure. I mean, F1 would be somewhat laughable, but, like, yeah. I mean, good job Bagonia getting those gnoms. No?

No, totally. I mean, it really, like, it... It held on. It held on. Like, it came out, you know, festivals, people are like, interesting, like, yeah, pretty good. And then it came out, and that was sort of the reaction again, and it made, like, some money.

Yeah. And it's just kind of, like, you know, he's just got his sort of, like, fraction of the academy that's very into his movie. But Gonia also, and you could probably argue F1, too, benefited from like a few other higher profile Oscar. Like, just completely dying. Totally.

Yeah. Weird year. Poor JK. But yeah, I am. They locked in that basement. They never made that movie. I feel like it could have done really well. And that basement was in a house of dynamite. Oh, my.

I don't remember that one? So I'm fucked on the vulture. I think I... I have a house of dynamite. Yeah. My problem was that I over-indexed very early on, like before any reviews were happening on after the hunt and house of dynamite as movies that just felt like they would appeal to a sort of mid-50s crowd. Yeah. You know, like movies that are about big serious topics by big serious directors in like fairly traditional kind of.

Yeah, and then both of those movies did not go over. I did see, I did this cynical, Wicked for Good. I bought that and that really did not work out. Not biting on that movie is a triumph for the academy. Yeah. It's a good job by them. Yeah. Zero.

Yeah, so I'm predicting one battle, but if, you know, sinners is definitely a close number two, I would say. Okay. So now for documentation purposes, I'm going to run down the ones we just did, and you're going to tell me your picks. Yes. And then we'll do a lightning round for the rest of the categories. So best picture. One battle after another. Same.

Same. Best director. PTA. Ryan Coochler. PTA. Best actor Bogdemora Timothy Chalemi

Michael B. George Best actress Jesse Buckley for all of us Jesse Buckley Agnes Best supporting actor Selin Scarsguard

Sean Penn Stellan Scarsguard I'm really Gotta commit You gotta commit Best supporting actress Madigan Madigan

You're also Madigan Right and I'm Tiana Yeah Best original screenplay Sinners Sinners Sinners Best Adapted screenplay

One Battle for another One battle And now we move on to Let's keep going Power through Best animated feature K-pop Deepan Hundreds K-pop Dement Hundreds

I did see one anonymous ballot that said I'll never vote for that K-pop movie but I think that was one person So anyway

Best international feature Incredibly Tough category Yeah Sentimental value Because they gave it So many other nominations Secret Agent

I'm going to secret agent But I don't know Yeah Best documentary feature Perfect Neighbor Mr. Nobody Against Putin I'm picking

Perfect Neighbor I'm not Not very confident in that either. Yeah. Best casting. Oh. Sinners. Sinners.

Beyond anything else, Francine Maisler is a legend. Best cinematography. Sinners? I am picking one battle after another, which is one every precursor. Okay. Best film editing. One battle. One battle.

Oh, yeah, one battle. Best production design. Frankenstein? Frankenstein. Uh, Frankenstein. Best costume design. Frankenstein. It's won all the precursor.

Yeah. Best makeup and hairstyling. Frankenstein. I, hmm. David. Are you in the Kakuho hive? Yeah, I love Kakuho. The highest-grossing live action

Japanese film ever released. I genuinely love Kakuho. I'm rooting for Kanko-ho here. I will pick sinners just for fun. Okay. I like that. Best original score. Sinners.

Sinners. That'll be his third. Little weeks. Sean Penn style. Best original song. Golden. A song I listen to

every single day in my house. Unescapable. Best sound. F1. F1. Best visual effects. Avatar. Best animated short.

I've seen none of these. I did predict these. Butterfly. Butterfly, because there's a sort of War II Holocaust East. Okay. There you. Of course, we'll pick the girl

who cried pearls. Don't know. Okay. Best live action short. Two people exchanging saliva The singer Seems to be the front run It's a little bit black mirrory

It has a conceit to it A friend of Dorothy is I watched it the other day It's the one with Mary Markley So that could win I'm gonna go with the singers Just because I saw Netflix take out And add for it in Times Square

Oh yeah go for it They're like the best Get those wins Short Best documentary short All the empty rooms Because it's about school shootings and it's from a guy who's like famous for being on TV news,

so like he's kind of a celebrity. There you go. But it's not that, I think, armed with only a camera, which is about a journalist who died in Ukraine. Okay. Cool. We did it. We did it. On that cheery note.

Yeah, we did. Yeah, so don't hold us to those. These are not legally binding. Yeah. We're not responsible for your losses. But if you do make money on like every market, we demand a 25% share, actually. I'm actually genuinely interested in, you know,

before the war and Iraq, Ron started, there have been people profiting really handedly and under awful circumstances on these prediction markets. I know that PricewaterhouseCoopers is supposed to be like ultra-secret. Yeah. But like how many people are counting those ballots and then have that, that, you know. I think they do a good job locking down, but I have. Well, kind of unsettlingly, Fay Donovan Warren Beatty just put $10 million each on bologna. Yeah. On Baconia. So that's, uh-oh. Watch out. They done away will emerge in a suit of tinfoil. Yeah.

Yeah. Before we go, I want to ask the three of you just on paper. Yeah. Besides the Mario Galaxy movie. I know. That's going to win a lot. My tickets are literally purchased. Not joking.

My daughter is so excited. I'm kind of excited about it too. But what are your sight unseen picks for next year? Frontrunner, best picture. I'm not going to say The Odyssey because that's such a boring answer, but, like, obviously, the Odyssey seems to be voiced to be an enormous thing. Let's go with Disclosure Day. Spielberg. What if Spielberg brings it back around

to doing a classic four-quadrant, you know, alien pop culture hit that also people think is very good? And, like, says something about how we live for something. How we live today. I am not going to make a best picture prediction, but I am going to say that little Tommy Cruz is going to be back of the Oscar homes.

The biggest question of the year. The movie I have circled as the most kind of like what's going on in here. It's a new year. It's, you know, It's very high profile. Cruise has been sort of the Maverick thing. Top Gun brought him back into that sort of fold a bit.

And it's also like this is the start of the next stage in his career. He is clearly like, I cannot keep holding on to planes forever and like breaking my ankle. David Ellison refuses to shoot me into space. Despite my efforts. Yeah. So, yeah. I mean, yeah, huge question mark. I'm so curious about that.

Yeah. I have no sense of this year's sort of festival movies, right, at all. It's too early. It's kind of too early. We just got the news that Osslin's film won't be a can this year, which suggests it will not be coming out this year. They're announcing the can lineup in early April.

Also, I mean, like, what, Jordan Peel's new movie got bounced from the 20, 26th century as well. Oh, wait, what are we talking about? The bride. Sure. Best picture. Best everything. Best bride. I don't think the bride will win best picture.

I do think she will host next year's Oscar. Maggie Gillihole or The bride. The bride herself. Every winner has to dance to put in on the ritz. It takes so long. It's such a long show. Oh, that movie. Let's do a bonus episode about that movie.

I would love to. I sat close to David during that movie. You've never heard louder sighed. I was sighing. Boy, was I sioning. Minute one of that movie, I'm sying. Just shifting in his seat. I fell asleep at one point. You know, it was just a great, great day at the movies.

Cinema. Same place I saw one battle after. 10 a.m. on a Monday. Not the best time for the bride. 10 a.m. It's always a good time for the bride. All right. Well, I won't tell listeners what movie to watch next week because we're, just watch the Oscars on Sunday.

Just watch the Oscars. That's what we're going to be talking about with another special guest. Thank you for sticking with us this long through all 10 Best Picture nominees. Yeah, we'll see you back here next week. Thank you, David, for joining us. Thank you. I love everyone. Critical Darling's is a blank check production

in association with Vulture. Hosted by Alison Wilmore and Richard Lawson. Produced by Benjamin Frisch. Executive produced by Griffin Newman and Neil Janowitz. Video production and distribution by Ann Victoria Clark, Wolfgang Ruth and Jennifer Jean.