Faulkner

Dafuq? These scenes with Steffy and Finn are shot and edited SO awkwardly. Why is every single person drawing out these paternity reveals? It’s BEYOND stupid.

I think he’s attractive but there’s something a bit exhausted-looking about him now. Like he’s sorta over what he’s been asked to play, and he’s physically tired. Yesterday, it looked like his eyes were half-closed. I can’t say that I blame him, if that’s the case. I guess they just chem-tested Jack and Tara? This show is such bullish!t. I watch it almost as an exercise in what *not* to do in storytelling. Not quite connecting with the Tara actress so far, but reserving my judgment.

Amazing actor.

From Israel 🇮🇱

Speaking of the Grammys, I loved Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak’s performance as Silk Sonic. Nice, respectful yet whimsical take on ‘70s soul. Plus I’ve been listening to Quiet Storm all weekend on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Hqm6veYJM3yf8C4LhboKp?si=t9Rdd_LFSUK2dQA7aN8oMg

Totally what’s going to happen if he’s not killed unceremoniously.

Olivia cedes No. 1 to Drake, who commands the entire top 3 this week.

JMW is a good enough actress to sell most things, but not buying Finn/Steffy as this great love story. They haven’t invested enough in Finn for this to work.

Somewhat tangential but even last night’s Grammys, which had some star wattage (Harry Styles, Taylor, Beyoncé showing up, Megan/Cardi performing “WAP” for the first time) and were pretty well-received, were down massively. Again, the Academy must be bracing themselves:

LOL at the Chelsea voiceover. Seems like Susan Banks got a memo to camp things up.

I wonder what’s the longest time DAYS has gone without someone being held captive on screen. At least in the past 40 years.

Oscar nominations Best Picture “The Father” (Sony Pictures Classics) “Judas and the Black Messiah” (Warner Bros.) “Mank” (Netflix) “Minari” (A24) “Nomadland” (Searchlight Pictures) “Promising Young Woman” (Focus Features) “Sound of Metal” (Amazon Studios) “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (Netflix) Best Director Thomas Vinterberg (“Another Round”) David Fincher (“Mank”) Lee Isaac Chung (“Minari”) Chloé Zhao (“Nomadland”) Emerald Fennell (“Promising Young Woman”) Best Actor in a Leading Role Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal”) Chadwick Boseman (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”) Anthony Hopkins (“The Father”) Gary Oldman (“Mank”) Steven Yeun (“Minari”) Best Actress in a Leading Role Viola Davis (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”) Andra Day (“The United States v. Billie Holiday”) Vanessa Kirby (“Pieces of a Woman”) Frances McDormand (“Nomadland”) Carey Mulligan (“Promising Young Woman”) Best Actor in a Supporting Role Sacha Baron Cohen (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”) Daniel Kaluuya (“Judas and the Black Messiah”) Leslie Odom Jr. (“One Night in Miami”) Paul Raci (“Sound of Metal”) Lakeith Stanfield (“Judas and the Black Messiah”) Best Actress in a Supporting Role Maria Bakalova (‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”) Glenn Close (“Hillbilly Elegy”) Olivia Colman (“The Father”) Amanda Seyfried (“Mank”) Yuh-jung Youn (“Minari”) Best Animated Feature Film “Onward” (Pixar) “Over the Moon” (Netflix) “A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon” (Netflix) “Soul” (Pixar) “Wolfwalkers” (Apple TV Plus/GKIDS) Best Adapted Screenplay “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” Peter Baynham, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jena Friedman, Anthony Hines, Lee Kern, Dan Mazer, Nina Pedrad, Erica Rivinoja, Dan Swimer “The Father,” Christopher Hampton, Florian Zeller “Nomadland,” Chloé Zhao “One Night in Miami,” Kemp Powers “The White Tiger,” Ramin Bahrani Best Original Screenplay “Judas and the Black Messiah,” Will Berson, Shaka King, Keith Lucas, Kenneth Lucas “Minari,” Lee Isaac Chung “Promising Young Woman,” Emerald Fennell “Sound of Metal,” Abraham Marder, Darius Marder, Derek Cianfrance “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Aaron Sorkin Best Original Song “Fight for You,” (“Judas and the Black Messiah”) “Hear My Voice,” (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”) “Húsavík,” (“Eurovision Song Contest”) “Io Si (Seen),” (“The Life Ahead”) “Speak Now,” (“One Night in Miami”) Best Original Score “Da 5 Bloods,” Terence Blanchard “Mank,” Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross “Minari,” Emile Mosseri “News of the World,” James Newton Howard “Soul,” Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste Best Sound “Greyhound,” Odin Benitez, Jason King, Christian P. Minkler, Michael Minkler, Jeff Sawyer “Mank,” Ren Klyce, Jeremy Molod, David Parker, Nathan Nance, Drew Kunin “News of the World,” John Pritchett, Mike Prestwood Smith, William Miller, Oliver Tarney, Michael Fentum “Soul,” Coya Elliott, Ren Klyce, David Parker, Vince Caro “Sound of Metal,” Phillip Bladh, Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortés, Carolina Santana Best Costume Design “Emma,” Alexandra Byrne “Mank,” Trish Summerville “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” Ann Roth “Mulan,” Bina Daigeler “Pinocchio,” Massimo Cantini Parrini Best Animated Short Film “Burrow” (Disney Plus/Pixar) “Genius Loci” (Kazak Productions) “If Anything Happens I Love You” (Netflix) “Opera” (Beasts and Natives Alike) “Yes-People” (CAOZ hf. Hólamói) Best Live Action Short Film “Feeling Through” “The Letter Room” “The Present” “Two Distant Strangers” “White Eye” Best Cinematography “Judas and the Black Messiah,” Sean Bobbitt “Mank,” Erik Messerschmidt “News of the World,” Dariusz Wolski “Nomadland,” Joshua James Richards “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Phedon Papamichael Best Documentary Feature “Collective” (Magnolia Pictures and Participant) “Crip Camp” (Netflix) “The Mole Agent” (Gravitas Ventures) “My Octopus Teacher” (Netflix) “Time” (Amazon Studios) Best Documentary Short Subject “Colette” (Time Travel Unlimited) “A Concerto Is a Conversation” (Breakwater Studios) “Do Not Split” (Field of Vision) “Hunger Ward” (MTV Documentary Films) “A Love Song for Latasha” (Netflix) Best Film Editing “The Father,” Yorgos Lamprinos “Nomadland,” Chloé Zhao “Promising Young Woman,” Frédéric Thoraval “Sound of Metal,” Mikkel E.G. Nielsen “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Alan Baumgarten Best International Feature Film “Another Round” (Denmark) “Better Days” (Hong Kong) “Collective” (Romania) “The Man Who Sold His Skin” (Tunisia) “Quo Vadis, Aida?”(Bosnia and Herzegovina) Best Makeup and Hairstyling “Emma,” Marese Langan, Laura Allen, Claudia Stolze “Hillbilly Elegy,” Eryn Krueger Mekash, Patricia Dehaney, Matthew Mungle “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal, Jamika Wilson “Mank,” Kimberley Spiteri, Gigi Williams, Colleen LaBaff “Pinocchio,” Dalia Colli, Dalia Colli and Francesco Pegoretti Best Production Design “The Father,” Peter Francis, Cathy Featherstone “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” Mark Ricker, Karen O’Hara, Diana Stoughton “Mank,” Donald Graham Burt, Jan Pascale “News of the World,” David Crank, Elizabeth Keenan “Tenet,” Nathan Crowley, Kathy Lucas Best Visual Effects “Love and Monsters” “The Midnight Sky,” Matt Kasmir, Chris Lawrence, Dave Watkins, Max Solomon “Mulan,” Sean Faden, Anders Langlands, Seth Maury, Steve Ingram “The One and Only Ivan,” Nick Davis, Greg Fisher, Ben Jones, Santiago Colomo Martinez “Tenet,” Andrew Jackson, Andrew Lockley, Scott R. Fisher, Mike Chambers

From China 🇨🇳

Ended up with Sorkin missing for Thomas Vinterberg for Another Round (come through international members of the directors’ branch). No Ma Rainey in BP. Lakeith in Supporting!

LMAO at the desperation to make this show happen.

From California 🇺🇸

After the weak Snatch Game, this week was more fun.

I think they attempted a return to topicality with the D.C. season (the one with Mike Manning), but the zeitgeist had moved on by that point.

Yeah, it’s a jawdropper of a stat. I think something like 23 different women have been in the Top 2 during the same period (which actually feels low to me, given the constant upheaval in the WTA).

Wow. First non-Big 4 member inside the Top 2 since July 2005 (Hewitt).

From India 🇮🇳