To Leslie 2022
Andrea Riseborough's little-seen lead performance behind the surprise Best Actress push; Edward Norton, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, and Cate Blanchett all publicly campaigned for her.
The Big Picture · Discussion · Roundtable · Auction · Interview
The 2023 Movie Auction. Plus: Damien Chazelle on ‘Babylon’!
January 20, 2023/ 142 min/ Sean Fennessey · Amanda Dobbins · Chris Ryan
Sean, Amanda, and Chris run the Oscar nominations gut check (the Andrea Riseborough campaign, the last three Best Picture slots), then hold the first of two 2023 movie auctions, with $1,000 in fake money apiece and a bidding war over Killers of the Flower Moon. Plus: Sean sits down with Babylon's Damien Chazelle, Olivia Hamilton, and Matt Plouffe.
A sale of 15 lots across 3 paddles, $2,932 at the hammer.
Top lot: Killers of the Flower Moon, to Paddle 2, $640.
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.
The Oscar nominations gut checkthe Andrea Riseborough campaign, and predicting the final Best Picture ten
Birdman 2014
where Riseborough and Edward Norton first worked together, cited as the source of his endorsement.
Possessor 2020
Riseborough's Brandon Cronenberg body-horror lead.
Oblivion 2013
Riseborough opposite Tom Cruise.
Hustle 2022
Juancho Hernangomez's turn floated as the next 'organic' campaign to manufacture.
The Batman 2022
Barry Keoghan's Joker cameo and Paul Dano's Riddler, both underrated in retrospect.
The Fabelmans 2022
Paul Dano expected to land a supporting-actor nomination.
Dog 2022
the Channing Tatum dog movie, needled for stealing Banshees' Jenny-the-donkey attention.
The Banshees of Inisherin 2022
their pick to win Best Picture.
Everything Everywhere All at Once 2022
the other Best Picture lock, and Sean's pick to actually win.
Tár 2022
Sean's personal No. 1, in case the preferential ballot breaks his way.
Top Gun: Maverick 2022
expected to be nominated despite a lighter-than-expected Tom Cruise campaign.
Avatar: The Way of Water 2022
presumed to make the ten despite a late, quiet run.
All Quiet on the Western Front 2022
surged after dominating the BAFTA nominations.
The Whale 2022
Brendan Fraser's BAFTA screenplay nod; neither host has seen it.
Elvis 2022
discussed mostly via Austin Butler's GQ essentials profile.
Women Talking 2022
one of two SAG Ensemble nominees they expect to crack the ten.
Babylon 2022
the other SAG Ensemble nominee, and their pick for Oscar morning's biggest surprise.
Triangle of Sadness 2022
Chris's guess for the tenth spot.
RRR 2022
floated as a chaotic possibility for the tenth spot.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery 2022
listed among the films not currently in the Best Picture conversation.
The Woman King 2022
listed among the films not currently in the Best Picture conversation.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever 2022
ruled out of the Best Picture ten.
Aftersun 2022
listed among the films not currently in the Best Picture conversation.
Recapping the second 2022 auction what each host got last time, and what never came out
Picked by Sean Fennessey
Beau Is Afraid 2023
drafted as 'Disappointment Boulevard'; didn't come out in 2022.
Picked by Chris Ryan
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever 2022
$425; a profitable film he still hasn't seen.
The paddles who spent what
Paddle 1
Sean Fennessey
$935
5 lots · $65 unspent
Paddle 2
Amanda Dobbins
$997
5 lots · $3 unspent
Paddle 3
Chris Ryan
$1,000
5 lots
The board this sale, by hammer price
- 01
$640No.2 Amanda DobbinsMartin Scorsese adapts David Grann's book; Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Jesse Plemons, Jason Isbell. The top lot of the auction.
- 02
$500Maestro 2023No.3 Chris Ryanopened the bidding at $500 and nobody countered; Bradley Cooper directs and stars as Leonard Bernstein, with Carey Mulligan and Jeremy Strong.
- 03
$355No.1 Sean FennesseyChristopher McQuarrie directs, Tom Cruise stars.
- 04
$325Oppenheimer 2023No.1 Sean FennesseyChristopher Nolan; cast rundown included Josh Hartnett, Benny Safdie, Rami Malek, Kenneth Branagh, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Emily Blunt, and Gary Oldman as Truman.
- 05
$320The Killer 2023No.3 Chris Ryanwon it away from Sean late; David Fincher directs, Michael Fassbender stars.
- 06
$307Barbie 2023No.2 Amanda DobbinsGreta Gerwig directs, co-written with Noah Baumbach; Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling star.
- 07
$178Air 2023No.1 Sean Fennesseynominated on air as 'Air Jordan'; Ben Affleck directs and co-stars with Matt Damon in the Nike/Michael Jordan deal story.
- 08
$143Dune: Part Two 2024No.3 Chris RyanDenis Villeneuve returns; Christopher Walken and Austin Butler join the cast.
- 09
$54Ferrari 2023No.1 Sean Fennesseytraded off Chris Ryan's slate; Michael Mann directs, Adam Driver stars as Enzo Ferrari.
- 10
$38Napoleon 2023No.2 Amanda DobbinsRidley Scott directs.
- 11
$23No.1 Sean Fennesseythe animated sequel, taken uncontested.
- 12
$22Havoc 2025No.3 Chris RyanGareth Evans (The Raid) directs Tom Hardy, his final and uncontested pick.
- 13
$15Challengers 2024No.3 Chris RyanLuca Guadagnino's tennis romance with Zendaya, Josh O'Connor, and Mike Faist.
- 14
$11Blitz 2024No.2 Amanda DobbinsSteve McQueen's World War II film with Saoirse Ronan and Harris Dickinson.
- 15
$1No.2 Amanda DobbinsSam Esmail writes and directs; Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke.
Titles link to TMDb where a confident match exists. Unlinked entries are too new to be cataloged or aren't films.
Passed in raised, no bid
Asteroid CityKnock at the CabinBeau Is AfraidIndiana Jones and the Dial of DestinyGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3Evil Dead RiseJohn Wick: Chapter 4Creed IIIScream VI
In conversationBabylon's writer-director, producer, and actor-producer
Damien Chazelle, Olivia Hamilton, and Matt Plouffe on
Babylon 2022
took root around 2007-2008 when Chazelle moved to L.A.; written in 2018, shot almost entirely practically, no green screen.
Damien Chazelle, Olivia Hamilton, and Matt Plouffe on
La La Land 2016
the tonal opposite of what Chazelle wanted: 'light on its feet and effortless' was not the goal.
Damien Chazelle, Olivia Hamilton, and Matt Plouffe on
First Man 2018
where Chazelle met producer Wick Godfrey, whose move to Paramount helped get Babylon greenlit.
Damien Chazelle, Olivia Hamilton, and Matt Plouffe on
Whiplash 2014
previously Chazelle's fastest shoot, until Babylon's two-day cocktail-soiree sequence beat it.
Damien Chazelle, Olivia Hamilton, and Matt Plouffe on
Moonage Daydream 2022
Chazelle's answer for the last great thing he'd seen, a Bowie documentary.
Damien Chazelle, Olivia Hamilton, and Matt Plouffe on
The Handmaiden 2016
Matt Plouffe's pick, a Park Chan-wook rewatch.
Also mentioned raised along the way
More 2023 movies they're excited about May DecemberThe BikeridersThe Zone of InterestPriscillaCivil WarWonkaMagic Mike's Last Dance
Comparisons and asides ExtractionTenetFree GuyInceptionRules Don't ApplyHail, Caesar!MankGhostDr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the BombM3GAN 2.0
Not films filtered out: TV, games, ads
TV TrumanEmily in ParisThe CrownThe Last of UsSAS Rogue HeroesBreakpointHeroesAndorSmall Axe
Games FIFA World Cup Launch Edition
Ads TremfayaNOS EnergyTalkAboutPD.com