Snubs #5: "Let Them All Talk"

I can't believe it's been over five years since I've done a post in this tag! Probably a good sign...Meryl usually makes it into the top five for high-profile projects. But thinking about how Golden Globe nominations are now just a week away, it got me to thinking about how little love she was was shown from awards bodies last year with TWO lead roles in contention. 

This post could realistically be about either of the two films in question. Let Them All Talk was a Steven Soderbergh film for HBO which followed a pretentious Pulitzer Prize-winning author as she makes a crossing of the Atlantic with her two college buddies, played by Dianne Wiest and Candice Bergen. The film did well with critics, but of course we don't have box office returns to show because it wasn't really released in theaters. And despite it not perhaps having as large of a platform for getting the most eyeballs on it, I'm fairly shocked it didn't get more traction. 

There was a fair amount of buzz early on about Candice Bergen, as she ended up being a bit of a scene-stealer in the film. That obviously never panned out. Meryl never really got mentioned much for her role. I happen to think it absolutely deserved at least a Golden Globe nomination. last year. It's a subtle, funny, and exquisitely acted part. As usual, Streep does a nice job of making it difficult to remember it's her--which in this case is particularly hard to do, as it might not be difficult to see how she'd conjure up the behavior a pretentious artist. But it's like no other character we've really seen her play, which after forty years isn't easy. And they ad-libbed a lot of their lines!

 

I have to expect that it's possible that Meryl's better chance with Globe voters might have been with Netflix's The Prom. It wasn't a critics darling, but it was more greatly anticipated considering its star-studded cast and with a director, Ryan Murphy, who's had a lot of success in recent years. Plus, it was a musical! That in itself sometimes feels like it'll be a no-brainer...especially for Meryl. I really thought she was going to get in for it. When I saw that Kate Hudson made it for Music, I honestly wondered if the Hollywood Foreign Press was trying to make some kind of statement by leaving Streep out. 

Alas, she got zilch last year. While The Prom may have been expected to garner the greater batch of nods (for crying out loud even James Corden got nominated at the Globes), I maintain that Streep's greater work was as Alice in Let Them All Talk. Either were deserving for recognition in the Musical/Comedy category, and if she had had only one or the other for voters to choose from, I wonder if she would've been able to secure a greater number of votes.   

The state of the race: 2021

Happy New Year!  I'm guessing few of us have been more excited to say goodbye to year than we are with 2020. Normally by January 1, we already have Golden Globe and SAG nominations a few weeks in the bag. Not in the year of Covid, however. Due to the pandemic, the film awards timeline if of course pushed back significantly. We won't see Globe and SAG noms until the week of February, and the Oscar ceremony isn't going to be until the last Sunday in April! That's going to seem so weird. 

So while we have a ways to go, I thought it a good time to do a little "lay of the land" in regard to the Best Actress race. I should start by stating I think Meryl is barely in the conversation this year. But the fact that she's likely to get a Golden Globe nod for her performance in The Prom, and that she is after all, herself, we can never really count her out. I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility that she'd get double-nommed in Comedy at the Globes (The Prom and Let Them All Talk), but there doesn't seem to be much buzz around the latter film, nor Meryl's performance--despite it having great reviews. 

The Oscars is where the real fun is though for following the race. The two main sources I use to follow current predictions are from Awards Worthy forums and Gold Derby. As this goes to post, the current top ten for both are as follows:

Awards Worthy: 

1. Frances McDormand (Nomadland)

2. Viola Davis (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) 

3. Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman) 

4. Andra Day (The United States vs Billie Holiday) 

5. Vanessa Kirby (Pieces of a Woman) 

6. Sophia Loren (The Life Ahead) 

7. Kate Winslet (Ammonite)

8. Sidney Flanigan (Never Rarely Sometimes Always) 

9. Meryl Streep (The Prom) 

10. Zendaya (Malcolm and Marie)

Gold Derby:

1. Viola Davis (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) 

2. Frances McDormand (Nomadland) 

3. Vanessa Kirby (Pieces of a Woman) 

4. Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman) 

5. Andra Day (The United States vs Billie Holiday) 

6. Sophia Loren (The Life Ahead) 

7. Kate Winslet (Ammonite) 

8. Meryl Streep (The Prom)  

9. Sidney Flanigan (Never Rarely Sometimes Always) 

10. Zendaya (Malcom and Marie)

Exact same top ten, exact same top five (although in slightly different orders). I've listed the one's I've seen up to this point in bold. With how similar these two lists are, I'm confident in saying this is the working group from which we can expect names to show up nomination morning. 

Although I'd most certainly prefer that going out to theaters were as safe as in previous years, I've been thankful that so many great films are available from home on streaming platforms. I'm most looking forward to seeing Nomadland. It's got overwhelmingly positive reviews and is a strong contender for Best Picture and Best Director (Chloé Zhao). 

Some people are suggesting that Viola Davis's role in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom isn't big enough to be considered lead. I think that's silly, because 1) I've seen the film, and 2) that's never stopped a multitude of other actors in borderline roles from getting nominated, or even winning. It's a great performance by Davis in a baity role. I think the biggest advantage she has this year is that she's never won in lead, while McDormand has won twice, and recently. I'm picking Davis as of right now. 

Both Sophia Loren and Kate Winslet do lovely jobs in their films, but I definitely think Sophia Loren has a better chance. Her movie, while not in the English language, is very well-received by critics. She's also Hollywood royalty who hasn't been in consideration for a nomination in decades. Ammonite wasn't bad, but I think it needed to be amazing for Winslet to be a real contender here. I also felt that it was too close in tone to director Francis Lee's other recent queer drama, God's Own Country (one of my all-time favs) to feel fresh. 

Carey Mulligan is getting raves. Fun development as well: she's going Drama at the Globes. This greatly opens up chances for a Meryl win there, but I'm still skeptical. Maria Bakalova will probably win if she's put in lead for Borat Subequent Moviefilm. And deservedly. 

My guess is Sidney Flannigan's movie is too small for her to break through with the Academy. But I thought her performance was touching and wonderful. No one's seen Andra Day yet, and being that it's a Lee Daniels movie and Day's debut role, it really could go either way. If the film is great and Day is good to great, it's also a baity role. The Academy has gone bonkers for singer biopics as of late. Another reason Davis is in a good position here (even though Ma Rainey is actually an adaptation of an August Wilson play, not a traditional biopic). 

I'll be able to watch Vanessa Kirby's performance next week. She's sort of been trending down in recent weeks, but I loved her in the first two seasons of The Crown and would be tickled if she managed to squeeze in.

My prediction, ultimately, for the top five most likely to be nominated for an Oscar are, in descending order of likelihood of winning, are:

1. Viola Davis 

2. Frances McDormand

3. Carey Mulligan

4. Sophia Loren

5. Andra Day

Happy watching!

Film review: "The Prom" (2020)

Two lead Meryl roles in two days! After yet another long day of work behind a mask and face shield, I was able to plop in front of the tube with my husband and a glass of wine to enjoy the fun of The Prom. 

Director Ryan Murphy's Netflix adaptation of the Broadway musical stayed very true to its theater roots. There was a song about every two minutes. Not that I necessarily mind--musicals are one of my favorite genres. I was a little worried I would think it was too cheesy and exceedingly low brow. Turns out it was cheesy and low brow. But I had no need to worry, as I really enjoyed it nonetheless. 

The film starts off with Indiana teenager, Emma (Jo Ellen Pellman in her film debut), faced with being unable to bring her girlfriend to her high school prom. Enter fading Broadway stars Dee Dee Allen (Streep) and Barry Glickman (James Corden), who bemoan the awful reviews of their new musical, "Eleanor." It was already here where I felt the story jumped ahead faster than I would expect, with Dee Dee and Barry teaming up with fellow actors Tom and Angie (Andrew Rannells and Nicole Kidman, respectively) to find a cause célèbre to bring publicity to their careers. They of course choose Emma and her Twitter-trending plight of homophobia. 

The New Yorkers who descend on Indiana to "help" Emma, are met with some hostility from the PTA, as well as from students who are pissed their prom has to be cancelled because of her. Keegan-Michael Key does a really nice job as the school's principle. He just happens to be a big fan of Dee Dee Allen as well, and the two spark a tentative romance. Meryl's scenes with Key are some of may favorite. They had really sweet chemistry and Meryl's "The Lady's Improving" number is one of the highlights for me. But the real showstopper is without a doubt "It's Not About Me," performed fairly early in the film, where Meryl belts out a hilarious, if insincere, tango-like call to action on Emma's behalf. 

I have to admit I laughed out loud when she calls the townspeople "bigoted monsters."  I don't think Meryl has ever sounded better, and she looks beautiful and like she having a blast. 

The film did feel like it dragged a bit at times. And with all the musical numbers and focus on the Broadway characters, both Joe and I agreed that we tended to forget a bit about Emma. She's really supposed to be the main event here, but she's so easily overshadowed by the larger-than-life older characters. Not that I minded. I honestly found Jo Ellen Pellman uncompelling in the role. I was far more interested when Ariana DeBose, her onscreen girlfriend, was in scenes with her. 

There's been a lot of chatter in the Twitterverse about James Corden and what some are calling a bad example of "gay face." While I'm not an advocate of perpetuating stereotypes, I was not bothered at all by his characterization. His performance is nothing particularly special, but I think the outrage over his casting is hyperbolic, and frankly smacks a bit of gay self-loathing and anti-effeminacy. 

I hope I'm not rambling too much in this post. Writing a film review is probably my least favorite thing to do on this blog. I feel like I just end up writing a brief synopsis followed by more of a reaction without really reviewing the film for what it is as complete work. I'm so bad at that. I'm not good at being objective about filmmaking when I'm so interested in the characters and how I generally feel when I'm watching it. Maybe I should wait to write reviews after I can watch the film a few times or after several weeks have passed. 

What I can say is that I had a good time watching this movie. Joe and I were humming and singing the tunes before it even ended, and have watched clips and played songs from the soundtrack already today. The cinematography is gorgeous and, as is Ryan Murphy's wont, extremely colorful. How are my eyes not sick of pink and purple by this point?

Is the film a masterpiece? Far from it. It's not a brainy musical like something you'd get from Sondheim. It's not as bad as the worst of Glee (a show I've seen every episode of btw), but it definitely had that EVERYBODY IS REPRESENTED VERY ON PURPOSE kind of feel. That's a good thing, I suppose, even if it's a bit heavy handed. 

Meryl's a shoe-in for a Golden Globe nod for Musical or Comedy. It seems a role tailor-made for a win, but I truly truly believe that awards bodies are very averse to giving her the top prize these days. It's too eyebrow-raising to snub her for something like this, but I'm more expecting Carey Mulligan in Promising Young Woman or Michelle Pfeiffer in French Exit. If Meryl happens to win the Globe or snag a SAG nom, there's a small window for an Oscar nomination. I never would've guessed a few months ago. I assumed and continue to assume it won't go much beyond the Globes, but it'll be a fun awards season regardless, as we watch and wait to see what happens with both this movie, and Let Them All Talk.  

Reviews rolling in for "The Prom"

The media embargo for official film reviews was lifted for The Prom yesterday. At the time of this post, the film stands at 54 on Metacritic (fifteen reviews), and 75% on Rotten Tomatoes (41 reviews). Metacritic of course is more the "prestigious" of scores, as it's a weighted average of fewer, more prominent sources. Rotten Tomatoes is a bit more low brow, and tends to run higher than Metacritic. 

There will be many more reviews of course, but so far, I'd say this is decent for a Ryan Murphy feature. Unsurprisingly, a lot of reviewers are comparing it to Glee. But a fair number are offering very favorable takes in the movie, generally praising it as a feel-good romp and something joyous that theater-starved audiences desperately need right now. 

More important is that Meryl is getting pretty good ink here. She's given props for "having fun" and really "sinking her teeth into" the part. And her singing is being widely praised as well. A clip of her performance of "It's Not about Me" leaked in Twitter earlier, which I happened to catch. I have to agree she sounds amazing. Possibly the best I've ever heard her. The full soundtrack will be released digitally on December 4.  

At this point, she's looking very good for a Globe nod, and may even possibly contend for the win. 

The Prom will be streamed on Netflix starting next Friday, December 11.  

Interview on "Let Them All Talk"

Streep was joined by co-stars Dianne Wiest and Candice Bergen for a virtual CBS Sunday Morning interview on their upcoming film, Let Them All Talk.

It's the most info we've gotten on the plot and the characters' histories and motivations. I'm actually looking more forward to this film than The Prom, if I'm being honest. 

There's been so much confusion and misinformation on whether this picture is going to compete in the TV movie or feature film categories for awards. Sources at Awards Worthy seem to have info which suggests it is going to be campaigned in the film category. Gold Derby now also has it listed in its odds list for film nomination and wins. If it indeed will be considered a feature film, I think it bodes well for Meryl's nomination chances. The TV Movie/Limited Series category is always so packed for Lead Actress. With both The Prom and Let Them All Talk, Meryl has a realistic chance of getting double Golden Globe nominations in the same category (a feat she previously accomplished in 2010 for Julie & Julia and It's Complicated, winning for the former). 

Let Them All Talk will stream on HBO Max on December 10. 

Full trailer released for "The Prom"

 Yes, there is indeed much to be thankful for. Netflix has released it's first full trailer for The Prom.

What a wonderful explosion of color and gayness. I have to admit, I don't expect much out of this film other than a good time, catchy tunes, and a little tug at the heartstrings. I'm game for all three. 

I'm glad they put more focus on the teen lesbian couple than they did in the teaser. It is after all about them. Meryl looks amazing, even if she wasn't in the trailer all that much. It'll be a fun surprise seeing her solo performances. Nicole Kidman's accent was distracting, and I didn't particularly get good vibes from the few clips they showed of Kerry Washington. That's tough in a trailer like this one, though. It's a tad manic and there's so little chance to really process what you've seen at first. 

We'll get to see the full show on December 11!

Soundtrack to "The Prom" set for December 4 release

Broadway World reported this morning that we'll get the soundtrack to Ryan Murphy's The Prom a week ahead of its release on Netflix. 

The soundtrack for @PromNetflix will be released on December 4, featuring Meryl Streep, Andrew Rannells, Nicole Kidman, @ArianaDeBose, @JKCorden, @KerryWashington, and more!https://t.co/ke31vZEdGp

— BroadwayWorld (@BroadwayWorld) November 20, 2020

While I'd love to experience the songs for the first time when I see the movie (particularly Meryl's individual performances), I'm pretty sure I'll have a tough time waiting.

The Prom will stream on December 11. 

New song released from "The Prom"

 Netflix has released a "lyric video" of one of the songs from The Prom.

I had seen a week or so ago the audio-only for one of the songs released, but this video includes a little bit of new footage as well. The song is OK, nothing fantastically special. Obviously I'm most interested to hear Meryl's performances. Not sure if we'll see or hear any of those in upcoming promotional footage. 

The Prom will be released to the streaming platform on December 11. 

First teaser for "The Prom"

Netflix has released its first teaser for Ryan Murphy's upcoming screen adaptation of the Broadway musical, The Prom.

Wow, Meryl looks amazing (physically, like she looks fit and pretty). I'm getting a strong High School Musical meets Mamma Mia! feel from this. Like so much of Ryan Murphy's stuff, especially recently, the set design and costumes are VERY colorful, which I enjoy. 

It's hard enough for me to be objective about Meryl's stuff regardless, much less the first time seeing teasers like this. I'll have to watch it a few more times to get a good read. It looks like a fun, uplifting movie, which we could all use a little of right now. And I know we can't, or at least shouldn't try to gauge awards or critics predictions from one trailer, but I don't expect this to go any further than the Globes. I'm happy to be wrong about that! 

Netflix will release the movie to its streaming platform on Dec 11. 

First official stills from "The Prom"

Netflix has released several set pics from Meryl's upcoming film, The Prom. 

Streep as Dee Dee Allen

James Corden, Nicole Kidman, Andrew Rannells, and Streep

Streep and Corden

Ariana DeBose and Jo Ellen Pellman

Very colorful and Ryan Murphy-y. And Meryl looks like she's bringing some major camp again. There's a good quote from her about the film on IndieWire:

“It just had some of the juju of ‘Mamma Mia!,'” Streep told THR of her decision to take the part in “The Prom.” “This is based on a real thing that happened to kids in Indiana, and has a happy ending, everything we dream of in 2020. I wanted to do it. So, the character is a big asshole. I tried very hard to bring that part of me forward.”

Netflix is set to release the film on Dec 11. 

Netflix sets premiere date for "The Prom"

Netflix has announced that Ryan Murphy's upcoming adaptation of the Broadway musical, The Prom, will be available to stream on December 11. 

Top billing of course for Meryl. It's prime awards placement for release as well. I think a Golden Globe nod is on the horizon, and who knows...maybe more?

New set photo from "The Prom"

Director Ryan Murphy posted a pic to Instagram today showing the cast for his upcoming adaptation of the Broadway musical, The Prom.

A lot of outlets are suggesting that Meryl is completely unrecognizable with her red hair. I'm not sure that's true, but she does look unlike the vast majority of her characters. I sort of consider the look a cross between Topsy and Miranda Priestly. 

Murphy praised the cast for having the gumption to complete the film's last bits amid the Covid crisis. But we know that there really wasn't much for the cast to do, the remaining footage was basically "second unit," per Murphy. 

We can expect the movie to hit Netflix around Christmas. 

"The Prom" to briefly resume filming

Multiple sources are reporting that Ryan Murphy's Netflix musical The Prom is set to finish up its previously interrupted filming this week in Los Angeles. As Murphy had previously indicated, principle production had essentially been completed, but there was some "second unit" filming still left to do. 

It's been confirmed that Meryl, Nicole Kidman, and James Corden are not involved in this latest shoot. It's more getting shots for scene continuity and stuff like that. Apparently Netflix is using this abbreviated schedule as a bit of a litmus test for their other future productions, and how they plan to manage the precautions necessitated by the pandemic. 

I'm just glad that we're pretty much guaranteed two new Meryl movie movies by the end of the year! 

"The Prom" likely to be released without issue

After The Prom was shut down last month due to Coronavirus concerns, it left some doubt as to whether the film would finish shooting. At the time, it sounded like the issue was that there was one final scene that took place in school with a huge group--obviously not the appropriate thing to be undertaking right now.

An article was released yesterday in which director Ryan Murphy describes how the outcome of the film really isn't in any danger, stating:

"The Prom" was pretty much all shot. We had two days of second-unit (filming) left. 

 "The Prom" was never going to come out until later in the year, 

 like Thanksgiving or Christmastime. 

 Hopefully, I'll be able to pick up those moments this summer. … 

 So, that movie wasn't really impacted by this 

 because I had already shot almost all of it."

I had to look up what "second unit" meant, and I guess it's where a second group of filmmakers work on supplementary footage like background shots, cutaways and inserts. It does not include direct filming with the main cast. I was also under the impression based on previous articles that the film was set for a third quarter release. Murphy suggests that it was always planned to be released toward the end of the year--which is good, since it now provides more time for completion. Add to that, since it's a Netflix film, there's not wide theater release to worry about getting mucked up. They only need a limited release for film awards chances. 

At least we have one piece of good news during this awful time. 

Production on "The Prom" halted due to coronavirus concerns

Deadline is reporting that due to concerns over the coronavirus, production on The Prom has been shut down for the time being. They were apparently set to wrap shooting over the next few days, but one of the last scenes was set in a high school, which was closed for health concerns.

The good news is that 1) they were close to finishing up, so not much left to shoot, and 2) the tentative plan is to resume/finish in mid April.

The way the whole planet seems to be shutting down, however, it's anyone's guess when production will continue. Regardless, I fully expect this to be released in 2020. 

The costume parade continues on the set of "The Prom"

Newest pic of Meryl on the set of The Prom:

I've probably said this before in earlier posts, but I'm getting so many Liza Minnelli vibes from her costumes and styling. 

Additional recent pics on set including Nicole Kidman and James Corden can be found here. 

New pics of Meryl on the set of "The Prom"

Filming for Ryan Murphy's Netflix adaptation of The Prom continues in Los Angeles. Meryl was spotted again this week on set:

Credit to The Daily Mail for the pics. Meryl is looking mighty fine in the white suit and red hair. Looking forward to her characterization of Dee Dee. 

Kevin Chamberlin joins "The Prom"

Multiple sources are reporting that three-time Tony Award nominee Kevin Chamberlin has joined the cast of The Prom. Chamberlin will portray publicist Sheldon Saperstein, a role which had originally been reported as being filled by Awkwafina.

I had thought recently about Awkwafina's participation int he film, as with all her publicity this awards season for her work in The Farewell, I've not heard her talk about The Prom. Her name hadn't been on the IMDb page, so not surprising that she's ultimately not in the movie after all.

Filming is currently underway, with Ryan Murphy directing. A fall 2020 release is expected on Netflix.

New pics of Streep on the set of "The Prom"

Meryl was spotted again this week on the set of Ryan Murphy's upcoming Netflix adaptation of The Prom.  

I'm diggin' the red wig. She's dressed like a powerful media mogul (with the exception of the Liza Minnelli-ish sequined blue getup). And may I say also looking quite trim?

It seems pretty obvious that the first round of photos I posted a couple weeks ago show her costumed for a role within a role (the Eleanor Roosevelt musical that bombs).

Hard to believe the Golden Globes are only two weeks from today!

First look at Streep on set of "The Prom"

The filming of Ryan Murphy's Netflix adaptation of the Broadway musical The Prom is underway in Los Angeles, and there are a few captures of Meryl in costume:

She's like a thinner, more colorful version of Florence Foster Jenkins. We know that the story takes place in present time, however, so I'm guessing this is her costume for when her character, Dee Dee, takes part in a panned Eleanor Roosevelt musical.

More photos, including some of Meryl's co-star James Corden, can be found at Just Jared.