Roma 2018
Alfonso Cuarón's Netflix release, in Spanish and black and white. Amanda calls it a phenomenal artistic achievement and thinks the theatrical-vs-Netflix conversation around it will run through the Oscars, at the movie's expense.
The Big Picture · Discussion
‘Roma,’ ‘The Mule,’ and the Mailbag | The Oscars Show (Ep. 109)
December 18, 2018/ 59 min/ Sean Fennessey · Amanda Dobbins
Sean and Amanda open with Roma and The Mule, then work through a mailbag that swings from Bradley Cooper's Oscar hunger to the SAG ensemble nominations.
31 films across 5 segments.
AI-generated This episode was transcribed and analyzed with AI models. The matches aren't perfect — expect the occasional misheard title or a link to the wrong film.
Roma and The MuleTwo movies with nothing in common except they opened the same Friday
The Mule 2018
Clint Eastwood's 40th film as director, playing an 88-year-old horticulturist turned drug runner for the Sinaloa cartel. Both hosts found it ridiculous and entertaining, cheerier than expected, and nowhere near the awards conversation.
The MailbagListener questions
A Star Is Born 2018
The big-four question: Sean's pick for the category least likely to win is Best Director, since he thinks the Academy rewards Bradley Cooper in actor or picture instead. Also the jumping-off point for a question about whether being a fourth version of the story should count against it. Both hosts say no, nothing is original anyway.
The Wife 2018
Glenn Close's Best Actress vehicle. Neither host has seen it, a running joke from the cold open, but they still rate her chances against Olivia Colman and Melissa McCarthy.
Fighting With My Family 2019
Florence Pugh playing the wrestler Paige, written and directed by Stephen Merchant and produced by Dwayne Johnson. Amanda hasn't seen it yet but is curious given her interest in wrestling culture.
Little Women 2019
Greta Gerwig's next film, with Florence Pugh as Amy March opposite Saoirse Ronan's Jo. Amanda is already counting down to the two of them sharing scenes.
Leave No Trace 2018
Debra Granik's film with Thomasin McKenzie as the daughter of a man living off the grid, played by Ben Foster. Amanda calls McKenzie a real talent and wants to see her in something like a Star Wars movie next.
Ocean's Eight 2018
Amanda's pick for most disappointing: a heist-at-the-Met-Gala cast that should have made it her favorite movie of all time, undercut by Steven Soderbergh not directing it. She calls it a good airplane movie and nothing more.
Assassination Nation 2018
One of the loudest movies out of Sundance, bought big by Neon. Amanda found Sam Levinson's ideas about being a teenager under social-media surveillance interesting but the execution a mess, made by someone too far from that age to nail it.
The Predator 2018
A Shane Black movie that Amanda, a fan of the whole series, found incoherent, and one that carried unfortunate behind-the-scenes news about a crew member's criminal record.
The Girl in the Spider's Web 2018
Amanda had high hopes for Fede Alvarez taking the Stieg Larsson material somewhere grimier than David Fincher's version. It didn't happen.
Mary Queen of Scots 2018
Amanda wanted a Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie head-to-head and instead got a lot of on-screen text explaining Scottish history. She admired it without thinking it fully worked, and blames some of that on herself for not knowing the history going in.
Vice 2018
Christian Bale's Dick Cheney transformation, still under embargo at the time of the question. Both hosts think he's a lock for a nomination and neck and neck with Bradley Cooper, and both are surprised more by critics' lack of interest in the movie's untraditional structure than by its mixed reviews.
Eighth Grade 2018
Bo Burnham's film comes up in the hypothetical Best Comedy category Amanda invents for the mailbag. She'd slot it in as a comedy on the strength of Burnham's identity and its funny moments, even though she calls it pure horror to her.
Game Night 2018
Amanda's assumed lock for the made-up Best Comedy field: familiar enough to work as a studio comedy and a genuine word-of-mouth hit.
Crazy Rich Asians 2018
Comes up as another contender for the hypothetical comedy category, and again later as a happy SAG Ensemble surprise.
The Big Race: Best DirectorPivoting off the last mailbag question
Roma 2018
Sean's example of a director doing everything himself: Cuarón wrote, directed, and shot the film, which Sean says almost nobody else at that level attempts.
BlacKkKlansman 2018
Sean floats Spike Lee as a career-achievement winner here, not necessarily on this film's merits alone but on decades of never being nominated.
Can You Ever Forgive Me? 2018
Marielle Heller is one of only two women Sean and Amanda expect on Gold Derby's director lists this year, alongside Debra Granik.
First Man 2018
Damien Chazelle's film, cited as a master's work even though Amanda notes people aren't turning out to see it.
Green Book 2018
Peter Farrelly's directing bid is, in Amanda's words, “a can of worms.”
If Beale Street Could Talk 2018
Barry Jenkins's follow-up to Moonlight. Sean and Amanda talk through his close-up-heavy style, which their producer noticed right away watching it that weekend.
The Favourite 2018
Yorgos Lanthimos gets a nod here for having a clear, recognizable point of view.
Black Panther 2018
Sean hopes Ryan Coogler gets in for it.
Stock Up, Stock DownThe SAG Award ensemble nominations
Crazy Rich Asians 2018
A stock-up pick for Amanda: a big successful Hollywood story that holds up on rewatch, with maybe an outside shot at Best Picture.
Bohemian Rhapsody 2018
The nomination Amanda can't square: a movie she doesn't think has a great ensemble, riding pure Queen-song appeal to enormous box office despite being made partly by Bryan Singer.
Black Panther 2018
One of the other Best Ensemble nominees, which Sean expects to also land a Best Picture nod.
BlacKkKlansman 2018
Another expected Best Picture crossover nominee in the ensemble field.
A Star Is Born 2018
The nominee Sean calls the closest thing to a lock for Best Picture among this group.
Next WeekTwo odd movies out this Friday
Bird Box 2018
Susanne Bier's Netflix thriller starring Sandra Bullock, described by Sean as A Quiet Place but blind. He thinks people were holding a slot for it in the awards conversation and won't be anymore.
Welcome to Marwen 2018
Robert Zemeckis's motion-capture film with Steve Carell, based on the documentary Marwencol. Sean can't explain why anyone turned that story into this movie, calls it one of the stranger misfires he's seen, and can't quite recommend it either.
Also mentioned raised along the way
Weekend box office, in passing Mortal EnginesSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Eastwood comparison Gran Torino
Bradley Cooper's filmography Silver Linings PlaybookAmerican HustleAmerican Sniper
Remake precedent Ben-Hur
Last year's multi-movie club Lady BirdCall Me by Your Name
Actors nominated twice in the same year, historically The PianoWorking GirlGorillas in the MistRayCollateralScent of a WomanGlengarry Glen RossThe Firm
Florence Pugh's other 2018 work Lady MacbethOutlaw King
Fede Alvarez's last film Don't Breathe
The Netflix-theatrical conversation The IrishmanBlack PantherGet Out
Hypothetical Best Comedy field Sorry to Bother YouBook ClubMary Poppins Returns
Comparison Mamma Mia!
Rom-com crossover pitch To All the Boys I've Loved Before
Coming next week On the Basis of Sex
Brian Tyree Henry's 2018 Widows
Not films filtered out: TV, games, ads
TV AtlantaGirlsThe Little Drummer Girl
Web/Ads This Is Bus