Burning Questions from the 2019 Oscars

Is it strange that after watching Bohemian Rhapsody, a "real" Queen performance felt somewhat disappointing?

Can it be a "real" Queen performance with a certain member missing?

Doesn't Adam Lambert have some big shoes to fill?

Was it intentional that the stage look like Donald Trump's hair?

After the first montage, were you worried that that's how they'd fill time without a host?

Were you relieved when Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph came out?

Did everyone breath a sigh of Oscar pool relief when Regina King won?

Does it make you (me) feel old that Regina King is now playing a grandmother?

Now that she has an Oscar, do you think she even cares?

Already keeping the censors busy on the second award?

Tom Morello introducing Vice?

Were you thinking Black Panther upsetting in Costume Design an omen for things to come?

Did that feeling double when it won production design?

Surprisingly, are you starting to feel the absence of a host?

But isn't the show moving along for a change?

Isn't that RBG song kind of awful?

Aren't all of Diane Warren's nominated songs?

Serena Williams?

Can we to assume the Academy didn't see last year's U.S. Open Final before inviting her?

Aren't you glad we weren't lectured again on the differences between Sound Editing and Sound Mixing?

8 awards given within the first hour?

This has to be some kind of record, right?

Aren't you just waiting for the show to suddenly come to a screeching halt and drag so it can end after midnight?

Should we start considering now whether Roma winning for Best Foreign Language Film helps or hurt its Best Picture chances?

Does Michael Keaton presenting remind me how he should have won for both Birdman and at least been nominated for The Founder?

Why did I let anyone talk me into to picking Vice for Editing?

How awesome was it that Laura Dern came out to the Jurassic Park theme?

Other than Bohemian Rhapsody, is Spider-Verse the 2018 film that most exceeded expectations?

Isn't that Buster Scruggs song, um, different?

Is it some kind of cruel joke that my power went out before Brie Larson presented?

Is it another cruel joke that Sam Jackson had to present the Original Screenplay Oscar to Green Book?

Didn't he look thrilled when it won?

Is Spike Lee ever going to win an Oscar?

Did they turn that f****ing clock on?

So, was that Gaga/Cooper performance any good?

Was it yet another cruel joke that my power came back in time for the In Memoriam montage?

I didn't miss Mike Myers and Dana Carvey...did I?

Was that the most subdued In Memoriam segment they've ever had?

Isn't that how it should be?

Did you see everyone fly out of their seats when Rami Malek name was read?

Do they like that guy or what?

Doesn't this feel like as much a win for Freddie Mercury as it does for Malek?

Isn't that proof that the right person won?

Think USA is kicking themselves for not ordering more seasons of Mr. Robot right about now?

Shouldn't Rami be glad they didn't?

Olivia Colman???!!!

Would anyone begrudge Glenn Close for being completely devastated?

Was she half out of her seat, paper in hand?

Do I look like a fool now for saying Close had her Career Achievement Oscar all locked up?

Doesn't everyone?

Did this just single-handedly ruin everyone's chances for a sweep in the Oscar Pool?

Honestly, wasn't it ruined way before that?

Best Director, already?

ABC has to be pleased with this abbreviated show, right?

Are you thinking "We'll see when the ratings come in?"

Didn't it just feel like there would be a Best Picture upset before the winner was even read?

Green Book??!!!

Why does it suddenly seem like we've taken a time machine back to 1989?

Do you think Spike Lee threw a tantrum?

If anyone's throwing a fit, shouldn't it be Glenn Close?

Have I ever done this poorly on my predictions?

Does this mean we're in for our annual conversation about overhauling the Academy...again?

Was the show really that short or did it just seem that way because I lost power halfway through?

Does this mean we'll actually get some sleep?

Can this host come back next year?

2019 Oscar Predictions

The more things change, the more they stay the same. All the new ideas the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences attempted to introduce to make the Oscars more accessible have only landed us right back where we started. While part of that failure can be attributed to their inability to commit to anything, it's mostly due to many of those ideas (a "popular film" category, relegating important awards to commercial breaks) being bad ones that center around their obsession with shortening the show and increasing ratings. It's especially odd hearing so much about ratings when they've never mattered less and it's annually one of the highest-rated telecasts of the year behind the Super Bowl. But here we go again.

Unfortunately, all their panicking and poor planning has resulted in a situation where we won't have an Oscar host for the first time since 1989. And you know what? That's okay. They should get out of their own heads and just put on the show because this should be about celebrating movies and nothing else. Luckily for them, 2018 was a really strong year and the Oscar lineup features a handful of films that were hugely popular mixed in with some of the more obscure arthouse favorites they complain are dragging the ratings down. We're also guaranteed to get some lively musical performances, if nothing else. So let the show run long or don't. Just make it good.

Such a wildly diverse group of nominees has made this one of the more difficult years to predict, which is always more fun. With only the acting categories locked into place, it's tough to remember so many others that were this close, or in some cases, completely up for grabs. And once again,, the Best Picture category continues to shed it's reputation as the easiest to call by looking to be the tighest race of the night. They'll be legitimate suspense when that envelope is opened, and this time not just out of concern that the wrong winner will be announced.  Below are my predictions, along with some analysis of the major categories. As usual, I'm reserving the right to make any updates or changes right up until the start of the show. 


*Predicted Winners


Animated Feature Film:
Incredibles 2
Isle of Dogs
Mirai
Ralph Breaks the Internet
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Animated Short Film:
Animal Behaviour
Bao
Late Afternoon
One Small Step
Weekends

Documentary Feature:
Free Solo
Hale County This Morning, This Evening
Minding the Gap
Of Fathers and Sons
RBG

Documentary Short Subject:
Black Sheep
End Game
Lifeboat
A Night at the Garden
Period. End of Sentence.

Live Action Short Film:
Detainment
Fauve
Marguerite
Mother
Skin

Foreign Language Film:
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)

Film Editing:
BlackkKlansman (Bary Alexander Brown)
Bohemian Rhapsody (John Ottman)
The Favourite (Yorgos Mavropsaridis)
Green Book (Patrick J. Don Vito)
Vice (Hank Corwin)

Sound Editing:
Black Panther (Benjamin A Burtt and Steve Boeddeker)
Bohemian Rhapsody (John Warhurst and Nia Hartstone)
First Man (Ai-Ling Lee and Mildred Iatrou Morgan)
A Quiet Place (Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahi)
Roma (Sergio Diaz and Skip Lievsay)

Sound Mixing:
Black Panther (Steve Boeddeker, Brandon Proctor and Peter Devlin)
Bohemian Rhapsody (Paul Massey, Tim Cavagin and John Casali)
First Man (Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montano, Ai-Ling Lee and Mary H. Ellis)
Roma (Skip Lievsay, Craig Henighan and José Antonio Garcia)
A Star Is Born (Tom Ozanich, Dean Zupancic,  Jason Ruder and Steve Morrow)

Production Design:
Black Panther (Hannah Beachler and Jay Hart)
The Favourite (Fiona Crombie and Alice Felton)
First Man (Nathan Crowly and Kathy Lucas)
Mary Poppins Returns (John Myhre and Gordon Sim)
Roma (Eugenio Caballero and Barbara Enriquez)

Costume Design:
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (Mary Zophres)
Black Panther (Ruth Carter)
The Favourite (Sandy Powell)
Mary Poppins Returns (Sandy Powell)
Mary Queen of Scots (Alexandra Byrne)

Original Score:
Black Panther (Ludwig Goransson)
BlackkKlansman (Terence Blanchard)
If Beale Street Could Talk (Nicholas Britell)
Isle of Dogs (Alexandre Desplat)
Mary Poppins Returns (Marc Shaiman)

Original Song:
"All the Stars," Black Panther
"I’ll Fight," RBG
"The Place Where Lost Things Go," Mary Poppins Returns
"Shallow," A Star is Born
"When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings," The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Makeup and Hairstyling:
Border (Goran Lundstrom and Pamela Goldammer)
Mary Queen of Scots (Jenny Shircore,  Marc Pilcher and Jessica Brooks)
Vice (Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe and Patricia DeHaney)

Visual Effects:
Avengers: Infinity War (Dan DeLeeuw, Kelly Port, Russell Earl and Dan Sudick)
Christopher Robin (Christopher Lawrence, Michael Eames, Theo Jones and Chris Corbould)
First Man (Paul Lambert, Ian Hunter, Tristan Myles and J.D. Schwalm)
Ready Player One (Roger Guyett, Grady Cofer, Matthew E. Butler and DAvid Shirk)
Solo: A Star Wars Story (Rob Bredow, Patrick Tubach, Neal Scanlan and Dominic Tuohy)

Cinematography:
Cold War (Lukasz Zal)
The Favourite (Robbie Ryan)
Never Look Away (Caleb Deschanel)
Roma (Alfonso Cuaron)
A Star is Born (Matthew Libatique)

Adapted Screenplay:
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (Joel and Ethan Coen)
BlackkKlansman (Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Wilmott and Spike Lee)
Can You Ever Forgive Me? (Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty)
If Beale Street Could Talk (Barry Jenkins)
A Star is Born (Eric Roth, Bradley Cooper, Will Fetters)

It's a two-way race between BlackkKlansman and Can You Ever Forgive Me? and since Spike Lee's not winning for Director and his film has little chance of taking home Best Picture, it has to be honored somewhere. There's no better place than here, where everyone finally gets their opportunity to give Spike a standing ovation when he gets to that podium to deliver what's sure to be a memorable speech. But no film has picked up as much awards steam recently as Can You Ever Forgive Me? It could easily pull an upset, and only be a slight one since the Academy would trip over themselves to honor a movie about a writer (albeit a disgraced one) in a writing category. The other three nominees are strong, but just taking up space, especially A Star is Born, which has seen its Oscar prospects alarmingly dip in every category but Original Song over the past two months.

Original Screenplay:
The Favourite (Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara)
First Reformed (Paul Schrader)
Green Book (Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie and Peter Farrelly)
Roma (Alfonso Cuaron)
Vice (Adam McKay)

This is a tough one, as literally any one of these could win. Vice is too devisive and more respected for its editing and acting than McKay's screenplay. Roma is a beloved techincal achievement and will be recognized in those corresponding categories, a couple of which are more prestigious than this. While I'd jump out of my seat if Paul Schrader won a career award for his brilliant, completely deserving First Reformed script, it's not happening given how overlooked the film's been elsewhere. That leaves The Favourite and Green Book. You may as well toss a coin. I'll go with the former since it has to win something besides Costume Design and most agree that the writing is one of the stronger aspects of that film. Still, Green Book could easily take this as the alleged "controversies" surrounding the material hasn't hurt it's chances as much as some would like to believe.    

Actress in a Supporting Role:
Amy Adams, Vice
Marina De Tavira, Roma
Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk
Emma Stone, The Favourite
Rachel Weisz, The Favourite

Stone or Weisz could probably take this in a lesser year, but in this one they'll cancel each other out for the same film. Here's where we should say that Marina De Tavira is lucky just to be there, but given the widespread support for Roma, there's more to it than that. In a category that loves upsets, she shouldn't be counted out. Neither should Amy Adams, at least not completely, as you'd figure after six (!) nominations the Academy is tired of overlooking her. But Lynne Cheney just isn't the role. Despite some doubt over her not landing certain key precursor awards, this is Regina King's year and the feeling that If Beale Street Could Talk has been underepresented here should only help her cause. 


Actor in a Supporting Role:
Mahershala Ali, Green Book
Adam Driver, BlackkKlansman
Sam Elliot, A Star is Born
Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me
Sam Rockwell, Vice

Remember when everyone thought Sam Elliot was a lock for A Star is Born? Better yet, remember when everyone thought A Star is Born was a lock for everything? That's defintely in the rearview mirror now as this becomes a showdown between frontrunner Mahershala Ali and Can You Ever Richard E. Grant, who's closed the gap considerably as he continues to be showered with praise for his work in Can You Ever Forgive Me? Even those who dislike the movie agreee he's the best thing in it.  Rockwell and Driver are deserving nominees, but the roles were really too small for them to ever emerge as serious threats in this category. Mahershala still has the momentum, even while the small chance exists there could be an upset. Very small.


Actress in a Leading Role:
Yalitza Aparicio, Roma
Glenn Close, The Wife
Olivia Colman, The Favourite
Lady Gaga, A Star is Born
Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me?

In what's becoming an annual tradition in the two major acting categories, a Oscar statue is reserved for a Lifetime Achievement Award. This year it goes to Glenn Close for The Wife, a movie no one's seen, and the few who have, hated. The purpose of this award is really just to get everyone complaining about all the times they overlooked her for better performances. Sarcasm aside, I actually don't have a big problem with them doing this since it's tough to put up a strong argument that Close shouldn't be winning an Oscar at this point, despite the quality of the film she's being honored for.

A bigger concern might be that many don't feel Close's performance is even nomination-worthy, which I can't testify to since I also haven't seen it. Regardless, this is the lock of the evening, insuring everyone scores at least one right in their Oscar pool. The Golden Globe speech sealed it and it's been smooth sailing for her ever since. Just the nomination is a win for Roma's Yalitza Aparicio, Gaga was out of the running a while ago and as much respect and momentum as McCarthy's gained, it's just not enough. Olivia Colman may be Glenn's closest competition, but there's really no competition at all here. 

Actor in a Leading Role:
Christian Bale, Vice
Bradley Cooper, A Star is Born
Willem Dafoe, At Eternity’s Gate
Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody
Viggo Mortensen, Green Book

Christian Bale gave up. He clearly didn't want to win, which is fine since he probably doesn't care and has one already anyway. Still, there is that nagging feeling he could have gone further as just over a month ago he was being talked about as a lock, with many believing his embodiment of Dick Cheney in Vice ranks among his greatest acting feats. As is the story for every category A Star is Born has been nominated in, former frontrunner Bradley Cooper has fallen by the wayside, all the goodwill he garnered for writing, directing, acting and producing his passion project having completely evaporated for reasons I'll never quite understand. You know it's a good year when Mortensen's your weakest nominee. If Willem Dafoe won for At Eternity's Gate ABC would terminate their multi-year contract to air the Academy Awards on the spot. As great a performance as Dafoe likely gives, hardly a soul on Earth has seen that movie and a strong case can be made that he's in the underdog spot that should be occupied by Ethan Hawke.

So against all odds and appearing in a film that had more behind the scenes mayhem than any recent Best Picture nominee in recent history, Rami Malek has emerged as the clear favorite to take this for his complete transformation into Freddie Mercury for Bohemian Rhapsody. And it's only started to become clear within the past few weeks with Malek working just as tirelessly at supporting the movie as he did in preparing for the role. Despite mixed reviews, its director being fired and even possibly going to jail, he's managed to completely shift the narrative to being all about Queen's music and his performance. Seemingly just a nice,  humble guy who's said and done all the right things, The Academy can't wait to give him that statue and hear the speech. It's the rare Oscar win everyone's on board with.

Directing:
Spike Lee, BlackkKlansman
Pavel Pawlikowski, Cold War
Yorgos Lanthimos, The Favourite
Alfonso Cuaron, Roma
Adam McKay, Vice

In many ways, this might be the most uninteresting category of the night. For one, a lot of names are missing that would have made this at least seem more competitive than it is. Bradley Cooper's absence is yet another harsh reminder of how far his film's fortunes have fallen. What a disaster. Regardless of whether Roma wins Best Picture, it's safe to say Cuaron still has this race locked up. The director who should be his closest rival (Green Book's Peter Farrelly) wasn't even nominated, leaving us with Spike Lee, who I just can't see the Academy rewarding no matter how successful BlackkKlansman has been. There's too much history there, and none of it good. But if there's a spoiler, it's him rather than Lanthimos or McKay. It's simply a shock Pawlikowski made it in. This is Cuaron's to lose and he won't.     

Best Picture:
Black Panther
BlackkKlansman
Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite
Green Book
Roma
A Star is Born
Vice

As a black-and-white, foreign language film distributed by Netflix that lacks an editing nomination, Roma has a lot of things working against it. That, and the fact it's sure to win in the foreign film category seems to make a Best Picture win an impossibility. And yet, it not only has a really good chance, but is still pretty much the favorite right now. Green Book more traditionally fits what the Academy tends to go for and it's locked up all the necessary precursor awards (included the coveted PGA) that under other circumstances would sew up the win. But with no directing nomination and the unpredictabilty of the preferential balloting system, it could be on shaky ground. Combine that with the fact that many within the industry and media have unfavorably compared it to Driving Miss Daisy in terms of its regressive attitude toward race relations and it could face even bigger challenges.

In the year of Black Panther and BlackkKlansman, picking Green Book could be an especially bad look for an Academy that finally appeared to move forward in terms of diversity. Speaking of those, neither have enough gas in the tank to go all the way, with the latter having only a slightly better shot. And no one's giving a movie about Dick Cheney the Best Picture Oscar, regardless of how skillfully made it is. They may have been able to hold their noses long enough to vote for it, but that's where it ends. Enough's already been said about A Star is Born's downward spiral while The Favourite seems to be more respected than loved.

With a groundswell of support for Bohemian Rhapsody peaking at just the right time, it shouldn't be underestimated, as Academy members don't seem to share any of the same reservations about the film that critics do. They absolutely love it, but it's in this category where the Bryan Singer controversy starts to really become too much since there's no way he's getting anywhere near that award. It all comes down to Roma vs. Green Book, and a lot of people will probably be kicking themselves on Monday morning over their prediction, whatever the result. I opted for Roma, which just feels like the winner and has the most momentum right now.      

Bohemian Rhapsody

Director: Bryan Singer
Starring: Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, Joe Mazzello, Allen Leech, Aiden Gillan, Tom Hollander, Mike Myers, Aaron McCusker
Running Time: 134 min.
Rating: PG-13

★★★ ½ (out of ★★★★)

Some music artists simply transcend the band with which they were a part, to the point that you even have a tough time even recalling the other members' names, regardless of their enormous contributions. There may be no better example of this in all of rock than Freddie Mercury and Queen. We could talk all day about how Bryan Singer's Bohemian Rhapsody is really a story about the band and that Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon spent years behind the scenes making sure that  would shine through on screen. But make no mistake about it. The film was always only going to be about one man: Freddie Mercury. Queen IS Freddie Mercury. Freddie Mercury IS Queen.

Despite taking great pains to specifically detail and show what each member brought to the table, even going so far as to imply he couldn't musically survive without them, Mercury's shadow will always engulf them. As it should. There's something to be said for giving the fans what they want. Freddie always did, and now he's at the center of a film that does just the same, helping to explain how audiences worldwide have embraced what's been categorized by critics as a by-the-numbers music biopic. And to an extent, that's true.

Controlling parents, egomaniacal genius, failed marriage, self-loathing, band break-up, sex, drugs, record label disputes. It checks all the boxes. Even Mercury's audacity and eccentricity both on and off stage are qualities we've come to recognize in our rock stars. But before Freddie they weren't, and what the film really excels at (and hasn't gotten enough credit for) is in reflecting that breakthrough. And the turmoil brewing inside of a man who just wanted to perform, while still struggling to figure out exactly who he is. The cultural timing also feels right because Queen might just be one of the few classic rock bands that could still be considered underappreciated. It's not a coincidence that among a dream lineup of legendary artists that played 1985's epic Live Aid benefit concert, it's their performance rather than The Who's, The Stones', Bowie's or U2's that's most remembered today. More accurately, it's Mercury's.

The film wisely opens by teasing that concert and closes by taking us there, recreating a watershed cultural moment with chill-inducing emotional and historical accuracy. While many thrills come in seeing Queen get their due, Rami Malek's performance deserves more credit than the actual picture, which is fittingly only following his lead. At first, you're not sure what to make of it, until he submerges himself deeper and deeper, to the point that it becomes frightening just how much of a disappearing act it is. There's no trace of the performer left, leaving us to contemplate what it could have been like to experience Freddie Mercury as a person and performer, along with all the complications and contradictions that entail, not to mention the theatricality.  He's such a fascinating figure that the film can afford to just simply do its job and call it a day. 

It's 1970 when college student and airport baggage handler Farrokh "Freddie" Bulsara (Malek) goes to a London pub to see the band, Smile. Upon learning their lead singer just quit, Freddie, who's been writing his own songs, offers himself up as a replacement to guitarist Brian May (Gwilym Lee) and drummer Roger Taylor (Ben Hardy). At the show, he also meets a young woman named Mary Austin (Lucy Boynton), whom he begins to date and eventually marries. After taking Freddie on as their lead singer and adding John Deacon (Joe Mazzello) as bass guitarist, the band is rechristened "Queen," with  Bulsara legally adopting the name "Freddie Mercury."

Touring across Britain and selling out smaller venues everywhere, the band soon attracts the attention of famed music manager John Reid (Aiden Gillan). With a record deal and a hit album, they tour the U.S. and only grow bigger from there. But Freddie keeps wanting more, as he internally comes to grips with his own sexuality and takes bad advice from manager and self-serving hanger-on Paul Prenter (Allen Leech). With Queen in shambles due to his selfishness, Freddie heads down a path of personal and professional ruin by the late 70's. But before he can vanquish his own demons, he'll need to make amends with his own past, as well as the only family he's ever known.

Feeling most like a standard musical biopic in its detailing of Queen's formative years as an act, criticism has swirled aroubd the fact that dates and chronology were altered to fit the needs of the narrative, condensing key events in Mercury and the band's timeline. It's kind of surprising it's become an issue when far less accomplished biopics are routinely guilty of the same offense, if you can call it that. This isn't a documentary and unless the changes were due to some unintentional oversight (unlikely given Queen's direct involvement), they should only be judged in context of whether it detracts from the story. In this case, it doesn't at all. That these alterations have caused an uproar is more of a testament to how the media enjoys tearing down biopics and showing off their knowledge that that's not "exactly" how it happened.

It's easy to see how a strict, inflexible adherence to every facet of Freddie Mercury's life could easily do more harm than good, stifling the momentum of the narrative and removing any shred of unpredictability. Plus, wouldn't those nitpicking about historical accuracy then only shift their complaints to how safely the movie played it by sticking straight to the facts, in the exact order they happened? And besides, doing that would deprive us of the the film's most memorable scene. 

The scene in question comes when Queen and their lawyer Jim "Miami" Beach (Tom Hollander) are unsuccessfully pitching the six-minute "Bohemian Rhapsody" as the first single for their forthcoming "A Night at the Opera" album to doubting EMI executive Ray Foster (an unrecognizably great Mike Myers). We'll never know whether the events in that room played out exactly as they're depicted, but it's the kind of scene you can easily imagine did given what we know about the 70's music scene and that song, then years away from being appreciated as the group's magnum opus.

So to hear how unmarketable and inaccessible the song is it is out of the mouth of the actor partially responsible for introducing it to a new generation in the 90's, not only makes for an unforgettable meta moment. More surreal than seeing the blistering reviews scroll down the screen are the preceding scenes of them recording the song, which comes as a flicker in Mercury's mind that he makes his bandmates harness. In fact, most of the film consists of them trying to keep up with his energy and creativity.

Malek's performance couldn't exactly be considered a slow burn since everything in this picture moves at such a rapid pace, but his full immersion into the role does kind of sneak up on you. Concealing his Indian heritage and sparring with his demanding father, Freddie escapes from himself through music. And with it, realizes who he truly wants to be, evolving from an introspective lanky kid uncomfortable in his own skin to a wild showman discovering his true outlet onstage. It's here where he feels most at home, and it's when that rock star persona overtakes his life that Malek's embodiment of Mercury kicks into high gear.

Taking over a role originally intended for Sacha Baron Cohen (who exited early due to creative differences), much as been made of the fake teeth, the mannerisms, gestures and voice Malek invokes to physically transform himself. And he does, baring more than just a mere passing resemblance to the late singer. But it's when Freddie flies off the rails with drugs and debauchery in the last third of the film that you realize how much further the actor's gone than just physically channeling him.

The celebrity of "Freddie Mercury" soon infests his inner circle, allowing him to let indulgence and excess get in the way of what matters most. His marriage may have been doomed from the start, but the difference here is that the relationship with Mary doesn't end so much as radically change, creating a fairly unusual situation, as the two remain friends while Freddie wrestles and eventually comes to terms with his sexuality. And, of course, the eventual AIDS diagnosis that the screenplay and Malek handle just right, avoiding disease of the week movie tropes. 

It's true that the other members of Queen are supporting players who probably don't register as strongly as they should. Of them, Gwilym Lee accomplishes the most as Brian May, but even that's stretching it, as this was never going to be about any one of them individually. Nor should it be. What it does convey well is what they collectively contributed and Freddie's ultimate legacy, perfectly encapsulated by Malek in the film's thrilling final 40 minutes, taking you as close as possible to their 1985 Live Aid performance without literally being there. It's frighteningly accurate.

A Queen movie was always going to be a tightrope walk. That we've somehow gotten a PG-13 version that not only feels uncompromised, but does justice to Mercury and the band's significance feels like a miracle given all the problems that befell this production. We're still not even sure who to credit for directing it. Far from perfect, events and timelines are altered, liberties taken and dates changed. On the surface, there doesn't even seem to be much too it. And yet, Bohemian Rhapsody is still so ridiculously entertaining because it deeply understands what Queen and Freddie Mercury left us and the only thing that really matters: the music. 

Halloween (2018)

Director: David Gordon Green
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, James Jude Courtney, Will Patton, Virginia Gardner, Haluk Bilginer, Toby Huss, Jefferson Hall, Rhian Rees, Dylan Arnold, Miles Robbins, Drew Scheid, Jibrail Nantambu
Running Time: 106 min.
Rating: R

★★★ (out of ★★★★)

Of all the horror sequels, prequels and reboots, none have beaten into the ground quite like Halloween. Michael Myers' origin story has been told and retold so many times that you have to wonder how even the hardest of hardcore fans haven't reached the point of complete exhaustion. How many times can The Shape escape from the mental hospital and wreck havoc on Haddonfield? Or come back "home" to the Strode house? Even with this newest Blumhouse-produced incarnation of the property directed by David Gordon Green and co-writtten by Danny McBride arriving in time for the original's 40th anniversary and being co-produced and endorsed by John Carpenter himself, its biggest hand was already been played. Jamie Lee Curtis reprised her legendary role of Laurie Strode in 1998's underwhelming Halloween: H20 with mixed results, mostly due to the lack of any long-term vision for the character.

Now accompanying Curtis' return is a pesky continuity problem that Green and McBride believe they can solve. Just retcon the whole thing. Or at least every film that followed the 1978 original, which remains highly regarded enough to make this experiment worth a try. Gone are all the returns of Myers, who we now learn has been confined to a mental hospital for the past four decades following his October 31st killing spree. Wiped away with it are any revelations that came in subsequent installments, including the big one that Laurie is Michael's sister.

While all of this sounds fine and good on paper and it's tough to argue few better options exist, it sure is asking a lot from fans. Or is it? Aside from the Myers-less, but underrated Halloween III: Season of the Witch and Rob Zombie's polarizing Halloween II, none of the previous entries have ever truly attempted something different. By committing to this crazy idea, Green's film forces the series to go a little out of its comfort zone, resulting in one of the more skillfully made outings since Carpenter's classic. Given the talent involved, that isn't much of a surprise. even if it comes at a cost. Whatever disappointment comes from the realization that it still, for better or worse, feels like a Halloween movie, stopping short of transcending the genre to become something more. You could argue that would always be too tall an order, but this sequel does feel as steeped in the year it was made as the original likely did in 1978.

With the "#MeToo" movement permeating through its female-driven empowerment narrative, it does away with away attempts to "understand" Michael Myers, even going so far as to mock the current criminal psychology boom surrounding serial killers. A welcome return to Carpenter's initial idea of the faceless, random form of evil known as the "Boogeyman," this had to be one of the toughest installments to plan. The results aren't always entirely successful, but Green deserve credit for not only pulling this off, but crafting a worthy successor that's as thrilling to discuss and dissect as it is to watch.

The 40 years since towering, emotionless killer Michael Myers terrorized Haddonfield on Halloween night haven't been kind to Laurie Strode (Curtis). Psychologically traumatized by his attack, the now sixty-something survivalist is twice divorced and estranged from her adult daughter, Karen (Judy Greer) who was removed from Laurie's care years ago when the state determined her overprotective, vigilante parenting methods crossed a line. Living in an isolated compound decked out with heavy artillery and security, she drinks a lot and obsessively prepares for Michael's potential return, waiting for the moment she can finally get her revenge.

Laurie's only lifeline is Karen's teen daughter Allyson (Andi Matichak), who, despite her mom's desire to shut the door in any relationship with Laurie, feels a connection to her grandmother. But the past returns in a big way when true-crime podcasters, Aaron Korey (Jefferson Hall) and Dana Haines (Rhian Rees) arrive at Warren County Smith's Grove's Sanitarium to visit Michael before he's transferred to a new facility while under the care of his long-time psychiatrist, Dr. Ranbir Sartain (Haluk Bilginer). Seeing dollar signs in both exploiting and humanizing Michael, they plan to stage a reunion between him and Laurie under the guise of giving her "closure."  Laurie wants none of it, but may not have a choice when his transport bus crashes and he comes home. This time she's ready, but all three generations of Strode women will have to band together in order to defeat the embodiment of pure evil.

Aside from the spectacular opening title sequence that pays direct homage to the '78 original, but with a clever twist, the first half-hour of Green's picture is its weakest. This isn't to say it fails or even takes too long to get going, but rather that our entry point hinges on three unlikable characters we don't know and aren't particularly invested in. So even while the idea of introducing true-crime podcasters trying to drum up publicity and sympathy for Myers' cause is a timely one, something still feels off about the execution. Early on, we sniff out their only purpose in the story: Allowing Michael to reclaim his mask.

Similar claims can be leveled at the character of Dr. Sartain, who could easily be labeled as a poor man's Dr. Loomis until the full complexity of his motivations come into play. And even then, the unflattering comparisons to Loomis (whom he "studied" under) are inescapable. But at least leading off with the Sanitarium spares us enduring yet another "It's Halloween in Haddonfield. Will he show up?" opening. It also provides us the most visually arresting image of the entire film,a wide shot of the hospital's courtyard with patients lined up on what looks like a giant chess board, with a maskless Myers' back turned to his nervously approaching visitors. It works on many levels, including the obvious one, that these three are really only pawns in his game, one in which he'll soon be claiming new victims. 

Myers has had a lot of returns home to Haddonfield throughout the illustrious history of this franchise, but Green makes a number of different choices that stand out, resulting in the one of the stronger stretches of both physical and psychological suspense we've seen since the series' inception. While the killing starts early, Green recognizes, with one or two big exceptions, the need to not show us everything, leaving at least a little to the imagination. It's pretty much the opposite of Rob Zombie's gorefest, which worked to a certain point for the type of movie he made, for all the good and terrible that entails. But Green's more of a chameleon who can slip in and out of different styles and is capable of hiding a few tricks up his sleeve. The film's middle portion is a showcase for that, as he not only manages to hide some of the more tired genre tropes with visually interesting choices, but also slides in a few winks and nods for fans that make sense for this story without excluding more casual viewers.

The screenplay succeeds in getting back in touch with Michael as this random, undiscriminating killer, which seems to have fallen by the wayside in recent installments. It feels like Halloween night with the streets lined with kids everywhere as Myers just aimlessly walks on the streets and sidewalks and through the crowds scoping out houses. While more establishing shots of Haddonfield would have helped in establishing a greater sense of time and location (something the original had in spades), the newest generation of supporting characters are given suprisingly adequate development, unburdened with carrying the entire film on their shoulders like so many other unsuccessful entries horror entries. This time, most of the heavy-lifting is done by Curtis, who we know can handle it, and does.

Treating the assault she suffered 40 years ago at the hands of The Shape with the gravity and seriousness it deserves, Curtis is afforded the opportunity to add a dimension of reality to the character she originated that some of the goofier sequels prevented. H20 attempted this approach, but it's refined here. The hunted becomes the hunter, as years of buried trauma create this alcoholic, PTSD-suffering survivalist whose obsession with revenge ruins whatever relationship she could have with her own daughter.

Judy Greer's Karen has gone in the opposite direction, believing her mom to be a drunken kook, compartmentalizing her own childhood and choosing to instead see the world as all sunshine and rainbows. We know what will eventually occur to destroy that illusion, but it's hard not thinking this continues the streak of movies underutilizing Greer, with a role that exists primarily as a bridge for Laurie passing the torch to granddaughter Alysson. Still, it was smart making Curtis again the franchise's centerpiece and having her family's legacy be the orbit around which the story revolves. Nor does it hurt that the film inadvertantly walked into a cultural moment involving attack victims and survivors.        

In her first big screen role, Andi Matichak isn't yet called upon to be the "new Laurie" as Scout Taylor-Compton was in Zombie's reimagining, but acquits herself well as the smart, head-strong Allyson. She's caught in the middle of the family feud between her mom and grandmother and a sub-plot involving boyfriend Cameron (Dylan Arnold) that seems to come and go, despite his faint ties to the original film. Of course, she'll eventually come face-to-face with Michael and while Matichak's role isn't huge, she definitely leaves her mark, instilling some optimism in those wondering if she's capable of taking the wheel of the inevitable sequel(s). But it's the interactions with her friends that provide more of the film's meta social commentary, including a take on why anyone should still care about Michael Myers' crimes in a day and age where mass killings seem to occur every other minute.

Despite her biggest jump scare being spoiled by the trailer, Virginia Gardner also manages to leave a lasting impression as babysitter Vicky, briefly bringing charisma and personality to the most thankless of horror movie characters. Her verbal interplay with young Julian (Jibrail Nantambu), whom she watches, is such a highlight you wish there was more. But we're quickly brought back down to Earth and reminded that, yes, we're still just going through the motions of a requisite Halloween entry where characters exist solely to bolster the kill count or advance plot. Adult characters are even more disposable, treated as an afterthought with little or no development at all.Will Patton's Sheriff Hawkins has a very tangetial connection to the '78 killings that seems tossed in, while the great Toby Huss does what he can with the limited role of Karen's husband and Allyson's father, Ray.

Between nameless cops and bystanders, podcasters and a Dr. Loomis stand-in, there are a lot of superfulous characters whose chief narrative purpose is to get Michael to Laurie's safe house for the eventual showdown. But even with more plot than seemingly necessary, we're treated to some real flashes of brilliance along the way, including a suspenseful kill sequence involving motion sensors that's heightened by John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter and Daniel Davies' new score. Remaining faithful to the original while adding guitar flourishes that bring it into the modern era, this is the best Halloween's ever sounded. Directors scoring their own films was pretty rare in '78 so having Carpenter return to the studio alongside his two collaborators, not only feels and sounds like the right choice, but utilizes him for more than just his usual story or producing credit. And his work couldn't have turned out better, offering a welcome twist on one of cinema's most famous musical compositions.

Other call-backs are less obvious, like P.J. Soles' cameo as a teacher or the original Michael, Nick Castle, making an extremely brief apperance behind a mask now being occupied by actor/stuntman James Jude Courtney, who does Myers' justice in both movement and mannerisms. Every new film seems to spark a discussion about the mask, and this one looks good enough, appropriately reflecting the decades of age and wear you'd likely anticipate. If there's any problem with it it's that it bares almost too close a resemblance to Zombie's grungy version.

It's a testament to just how much this franchise has been through that even on the heels of a financially and creatively fulfilling sequel like this, it's still somewhat difficult to get excited for more. Jamie Lee Curtis returned as Laurie and faced off with Michael. Now what? The sequels following H20 all dealt with this conundrum and we've even seen the problem manifest itself in a non-horror capacity in the newest Star Wars series. It's tough finding that balance between the old and the new. Pleasing original fans while still attracting newer ones. No matter how many times you emphasize a fresh start they'll always be that temptation to lean back into the past, "come home" so to speak. It's a tricky balance that will only get trickier with each succeeding installment.

Halloween 2018 comes from a strange place in wanting to completely abandon and even occasionally send-up the films that came before, while remaining slavishly devoted to them at the same time, even going as far as to pay homage to certain scenes, story points and characters. In so far as translating those admittedly mixed signals in the screen, Green does as good a job as any current director could. Considering a trip back to Crystal Lake or even Elm Street would seem to hold more appeal and possibilities than yet another entry into this series, it all worked out. By reminding us of everything we've loved and loathed about the series, it pushes us forward us into the next chapter. And whatever that is, there's little doubt Michael Myers' legacy will remain at the center of it.