Afleveringen
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This time of year can be a little slow for awards junkies like us, but, every once in a while, a smaller film that has no chance at the Oscars surprises us. Clocking in at a crisp 1 hour 33 minutes, Steven Soderberghâs latest film, a spy thriller mystery called Black Bag, is a smart and stylish genre exercise that was as fun to talk about as it was to watch. Acting titans Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender star as a couple whose marriage is tested by the agency for which they both work. We give shoutouts to our favorite cast members, share the suspicions we had at different points in the film, and try to pinpoint what makes the screenplay so clever.
As an added bonus, we begin the episode with our reaction to the latest Avengers: Doomsday casting announcement.
We go into SPOILER MODE around the 28 minute mark. If you are still undecided as to whether or not you want to go on this top secret mission with us, you can listen safely until then.
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Parasite (2019) is arguably one of the best Best Picture winners of the last decade, and it certainly put its director, Bong Joon Ho, on the global cinema map in a way he had not been before. Itâs no surprise, then, that a big studio like Warner Bros. would essentially offer him a blank check to make his next film, Mickey 17. The filmâs release has been far from a success, however. Warner Bros. delayed the filmâs release nearly a year, and then changed the 2025 release date three more times. With a $118 million production budget and only having made $92.2 million worldwide since its opening on March 7th, Warner Bros. is projected to lose between $75 and $80 million during the filmâs theatrical run. Reviews from critics have been mixed, but is this financial flop the filmâs fault?
On this episode of The Long Take Review, P.T., Greg, our special guest Hasib (yayyy!), and I come to this filmâs defense, leveling fair criticisms where we see fit but primarily celebrating what we loved. How would we compare Mickey 17 to the rest of Bong Joon Hoâs filmography? Did we think the political satire was too over-the-top, as others have? Do we think Robert Pattison did his own stunts? Can P.T. and Greg accurately imitate his voice? How do all the storylines and themes come together? Listen to find out!
We go into SPOILER MODE at the 21:00 minute mark. If you are still undecided as to whether or not you want to sign the spoilerable agreement, you can listen safely until then.
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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For many critics and fans (including us), one of the happiest upsets at this yearâs Oscars was Flow winning Best Animated Feature, beating out acclaimed titans from much bigger animation studios like The Wild Robot and Inside Out 2. The filmâs tiny team from Latvia, led by Director Gints Zilbalodis, went home national heroes, as their statuette now sits in the Latvian National Museum of Art, with people waiting in line for hours just to see it. Itâs much easier for viewers at home to see the film itself, as it is now available to stream on Max.
In this episode of The Long Take Review, Greg, P.T., and I share what we think is so special about this one-of-a-kind film. We try to pinpoint what works about its storytelling style, debate a few different interpretations of key events, offer up our ideas about how the story could function as an allegory, and perform our fair share of animal imitations along the way. Please note that we recorded this episode BEFORE the Oscars, not realizing we wouldnât be able to publish it until this week. Jen edited out as much Oscars Watch talk as she could so you just get our pure and timeless breakdown of the film, but if there are seemingly outdated references to life before this little kitty won big, please ignore them.
We go into SPOILER MODE at the 18:53 minute mark. If you are still undecided as to whether or not you want to go with our spoiler-flooded flow, you can listen safely until then.
Image Credit: Director Gints Zilbalodisâ Instagram Account, @gzilbalodis
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What a night, especially for Sean Baker, the director of Best Picture winner, Anora! The film won five of the six of its Oscar nominations, surprising even those who had predicted it to win Best Picture. What does the indisputable success of a small indie film made for $6 million dollars (for reference, Wicked cost $150 million) with a 40-person crew mean for the future of movies? On this episode of The Long Take Review, we try to answer this question as well as react to the winners and losers more generally. Which wins made us happiest? Which were disappointing? Who had the best or worst speech? How many categories did we correctly predict, and in retrospect how should we have strategized differently? Join us to learn the answer to these questions, as well as P.T.âs bond theme preferences, the movie Gregâs pouring one out for, and Jenâs predictions for Wicked: For Good next year.
Thank you to all our listeners, family, and friends who have followed along with us this awards season! Our coverage all the more joyful because you were here with us.
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Easily, the biggest surprise of Oscar nomination morning was the Brazilian docudrama, Iâm Still Here, making it into the Best Picture 10 in addition to being nominated for International Feature. We recently got a chance to catch up with Walter Sallesâ film about a family targeted by a military dictatorship in 1971 and knew that we absolutely needed to squeeze a review in before the Oscars this Sunday. We try to explain why Best Actress nominee Fernanda Torres is so acclaimed, debate the filmâs thesis, and have an extended conversation about a dog named PimpĂŁo.
Note that we recorded this episode before we recorded our recently released Final Oscar Predictions episode and, therefore, before we knew who had won the SAG Awards. But if you want to hear our Oscar thoughts just on Iâm Still Here, listen through to the end of this episode.
We go into SPOILER MODE at the 17:35 minute mark. If you are still undecided as to whether or not you want to still be here for spoilers, you can listen safely until then.
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The Oscars are finally here! If you havenât had time to watch all the films, but find yourself looking to predict some winners, we at The Long Take Review have got you covered. In an epic, record-breaking episode, we discuss who will win and who should win in every. single. category. So this is your one stop shop for help with your Oscar pool. Weâve tiered the episode so you can opt in depending on your level of mania: first, all four of us talk the major âabove the lineâ categories, then three of us stick around to talk animation, docs, and Gregâs wisdom on the shorts, and, finally, P.T. and I, left unchecked, go off the rails with the technical, âbelow the lineâ categories. Below youâll find time stamps to guide your listening.
Part One (0:00:00 - 1:32:46) Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Actor, Actress, Adapted Screenplay, Original Screenplay, International Feature, Director, Best Picture
Part Two (1:32:47 - 2:15:53) Original Score, Original Song, Documentary Feature, Animated Feature, Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film, Documentary Short Film
Part Three (2:15:54 - 3:35:40) Makeup and Hairstyling, Costume Design, Production Design, Visual Effects, Sound, Film Editing, Cinematography, a discussion of broader narratives, and some wild unlikely to happen predictions.
The 97th Academy Awards will air on Sunday, March 2, 2025, starting at 4:00PM PT or 7:00PM ET. You can watch live on ABC or ABC.com or stream live on Hulu.
And if you need a ballot to keep track of your predictions (or hope-dictions), download our template below!
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Early speculation about films for 2024 frequently highlighted an adaptation of Colson Whiteheadâs Pulitzer-prize-winning novel, The Nickel Boys, purely based on the source materialâs notoriety. Few film critics, however, could have known then that Ramell Rossâ adaptation, Nickel Boys, would be so bold in its aesthetic choices. Ross reconfigures conventional film continuity to create what he calls a âsentient POV,â in which the camerawork reflects a sensory experience, as if the camera were a person. This radical, experimental style, deeply rooted in ideological resistance, has dazzled some critics while putting off others. It also seems to have had an impact on the Academy, which nominated the film in two categories.
In this episode, P.T., Antonio, and I share our viewing experiences and try to unpack Rossâ choices. To what extent are they a subversion of the white colonial gaze that cannot be disentangled from classical Hollywood cinema? How did the cinematography fit the themes of the story? How did it help deliver key plot points? And why might book readers like Greg be a little cooler on the film? Come for the answers and stay for an inspirational story from Antonioâs legal writing class.
We go into SPOILER MODE at the 29:17 minute mark. If you are still undecided as to whether or not you want to serve your sentence with this film, you can listen safely until then.
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Itâs hard to believe, but The Long Take Review podcast has made it to 100 episodes! To commemorate this milestone, P.T., Greg, Antonio, and I take a break from our Oscar season coverage to ask each other some probing questions, both about the films we have covered during the first 100 episodes and more generally about our filmgoing lives. What has been our most memorable theatrical experience? What unpopular film would we defend? What film have we covered that we most associate with the other co-hosts? And if we were casting the pod, who would be in the ensemble? Find out our answers to these and so much more. This was very fun to record and confirmed for us how joyful and meaningful it has been making this show every week.
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Is it too early to talk about next yearâs Oscars when this yearâs hasnât even happened yet? The Sundance Film Festival says no. In fact, a handful of films that premiere there go on to compete in the awards race the following year. And unlike most other film festivals, Sundance offers online screenings for us civilians, which means we can actually review some films! P.T., Antonio, and I share our thoughts on the films that we saw, and then we break down reactions to the titles we werenât able to see, notable acquisitions, and all the early Oscar buzz. Which film was so sad it made Jen angry? Which filmâs weirdness delighted P.T. to no end? And which film tricked Antonio into thinking it would be a thriller? Listen to find out.
This entire episode is SPOILER FREE. Enjoy!
Image Credit: (clockwise from top left) Sundance, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and Deadline
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Find someone who looks at you the way everyone in A Complete Unknown looks at Timothee Chalamet playing Bob Dylan.
For James Mangoldâs film, covering Dylanâs four-year journey from first arriving in New York City through âgoing electricâ in 1965, one debate amongst critics centers on the representation of Bob Dylanâs genius: does the film fall into the stereotypical biopic trap of putting its subject on a pedestal, unabashedly touting his generational talent and nothing more? Or does Mangold offer a more nuanced, complicated story, subverting the tropes that he arguably codified in Walk The Line (2005), his film about country music star Johnny Cash?
In this episode of The Long Take Review, we start with this question, discussing how the film does and does not adhere to its genre conventions. The conversation, however, sprawls many other topics, including the infighting between Dylan and more traditional folk artists, the historical accuracy of events portrayed in the film, what the film might be saying about Dylanâs artistry and legacy, how many Oscars it could win, and more.
We go into SPOILER MODE at the 21:04 minute mark. If you are still undecided as to whether or not you want to go on tour with us, you can listen safely until then.
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Everyone over at The Long Take Review got up bright and early Thursday morning to watch the live announcement of this yearâs Oscar nominations. We share our thoughts on the broadcast, as well as the nominees. How many did Jen correctly predict? How many has Greg already seen? What is P.T.âs mastermind theory about which films have a path to winning Best Picture? And why did we spend so much time talking about monkeys? Listen to find out!
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Director Brady Corbet gave not one but two acceptance speeches at The Golden Globes, as he won for Best Director and his film, The Brutalist, won Best Motion Picture Drama. Star Adrien Brody also won Best Actor Motion Picture Drama. There were two predominant themes amongst those three speeches: that immigrant stories matter, and that film studios should take more chances on filmmakersâ artistic visions (especially when their ideas donât seem as commercially viable). Those who have seen the two-part period drama know that these themes also manifest in the epic story of fictional architect, LĂĄszlĂł TĂłth.
In a year with no clear Best Picture frontrunner, however, it remains to be seen how much The Brutalistâs success will repeat at the Oscars. Antonio, Greg, P.T., and I do debate how well the film famously shot in VistaVision on an astoundingly small $10 million budget will fare on Hollywoodâs biggest night. But before we do, we carefully unpack all of the filmâs complicated themes and narrative choices.
Oscar Nom Wishes 3:25-25:24
Spoiler Free Takes: 25:25-44:04
SPOILER MODE: 44:05-1:45:52
Oscar Watch: 1:45:53 - the end
Image Credit: Vanity Fair
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Before we describe this episode of The Long Take Review, we would like to acknowledge and express our support for the victims of the Los Angeles wildfires. Here are some ways to help:
The Entertainment Community Fund provides a safety net for performing arts and entertainment professionals, including those impacted by the wildfires.
This GoFundMe supports a colleague of ours displaced by the Eaton Canyon fire in Altadena.
The Red Cross works with local partners to provide shelter, food, emotional support and health services for victims.
According to another colleague who regularly fosters dogs, the Pasadena Humane Center and the Agoura Animal Care Center are overburdened with animals affected by the fires.
This LA Times article lists many more organizations that are providing aid.
In this episode of The Long Take Review, we host, for the second time, our own awards ceremony, The LTRs or âLetters.â While we donât have any delusions about our influence in the awards race, we tried to think of performances, screenplays, filmmakers, and films that we want to spotlight before Oscar voting closes on January 17th. (Those who campaign during awards season call this an FYC or âFor Your Considerationâ event.) We begin with our individual lists of nominees, form a shared list of nominees through consensus picks (nominees that appeared on more than one of our lists) and non-consensus shout-outs (nominees that appeared on only one list but we decide should be nominated anyway). After we have a set of shared nominees, we engage in a spirited yet collaborative debate to decide on a winner and honorable mention, live during the show.
Get ready to take some notes and make some Letterboxd watchlists! In a later post on The Long Take Substack, Jen will share each of our full lists of nominees for reference.
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After years of scandal, attempts to change, and a host who bombed last year, it seems like the Golden Globes has finally found its footing. Comedian Nikki Glaser, best known for her roast of Tom Brady, has received ubiquitous praise for her appropriately pitched jokes. And after expanding and diversifying their voting body last year, critics seems to be much less judgmental about the Golden Globes Foundationâs nominations.
And yet, pundits were uncertain going into last nightâs ceremony. Would a frontrunner finally emerge? Would the Globes fall back onto their celebrity-pandering ways? Will they serve as more of an Oscar bellwether than ever before? Recording minutes after the broadcast ended, Antonio, P.T., and I try our best to answer these questions as we wade through the often surprising winners and glaring misses.
Image Credit: The Hollywood Reporter
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Happy Holidays from the crew at The Long Take Review! In the spirit of the season, we spent this weekâs episode celerating our holiday favorites. We each share two classics and (at least) one movie from any genre to watch over the holidays with your loved ones. Do television specials count as movies? Which actor played Scrooge the best? Which one of us will make the most hipster picks? Join us to find out.
And if you have films that you love to watch during this time of you, please share in the comments!
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Weâre far enough away from âGlickedâ weekend that we can declare a box office victor, and it wasnât Gladiator II, Ridley Scottâs long-awaited follow-up to Best Picture-winning Gladiator (2000). Despite that, will the sword and sandals epic still get a thumbs up from the Academy? On this episode of The Long Take Review, P.T., Greg, and I deliberate this question (and celebrate Denzel Washington) after unpacking our diverse reactions to the film. Who had the best time? Who knows about the previous pitches that never got green-lit? And who is the biggest (OG) Gladiator super fan? Lend us your ears to find out.
We go into SPOILER MODE at the 22:50 minute mark. If you are still undecided as to whether or not you want to enter the Colosseum for a second time, you can listen safely until then.
Image Credit: IndieWire
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Itâs the most wonderful time of the yearâŠand here at The Long Take Review, we mean awards season when we make that declaration. We took this entire episode to check in on the Oscar race in the wake of the first big slew of precursor awards and nominations. From New York to LA, regional critics groups have been chiming in with their picks in the hope that they can have some sway or create the right conditions for a film or actorâs campaign to gain momentum. Bigger groups like The American Film Institute (AFI) and the National Board of Review (NBR) put out their top ten lists, which have some but not 100% crossover with the Best Picture lineup at the Oscars. And, most recently, the Golden Globes announced their nominations the day we recorded, this past Monday December 9th. Whoâs feeling good after all that, and whose campaigns might be ending? What surprised and delighted us? We talk about all that and more on this special movies news episode.
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Right now, it seems as though Wickedâs potential is unlimited. Itâs on the verge of hitting $500 million in worldwide box office, with no signs of slowing down over the holidays. Itâs garnered a slew of award nominations, including four Golden Globes, as well as wins, including Best Film by the National Board of Review. The question on every punditâs mind now is: does Jon M. Chuâs fantasy musical spectacular have what it takes to win at the Oscars?
On this episode of The Long Take Review, we too debate this very question. We share what we thought about the film in the context of our prior relationship with the source material, try to trace its literary and musical lineage, discuss the revisionist prequel of it all, and, of course, comment on the who, what, when, where, and why of the filmâs massive popularity. Whoâs a Glinda? Whoâs an Elphaba? And how many of us will sing during the episode? Listen to find out!
We go into SPOILER MODE at the 30:21 minute mark. If you are still undecided as to whether or not you want to fly with Wicked, you can listen safely until then.
Image Credit: New York Times
Show Notes:
Jen referenced this iconic dance sequence by Fred Astaire in Dancing Through Life set inspired by Fred Astaire in Royal Wedding (1951). She then later found this IndieWire piece that confirmed that Dancing Through Life is in fact inspired by that number.
One of many videos showing the reaction when Michelle Yeoh brought the Oscar she had just won back to the set of Wicked.
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Most will recognize Jesse Eisenberg as an actor, if not for his iconic portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg in David Fincherâs The Social Network (2010), then for his turn as Lex Luthor in Zack Snyderâs DC films. Fewer will know him as a director, and yet his second film, A Real Pain, is currently in the Oscars conversation. The film follows two cousins, Benji (Kieran Culkin) and David (Jesse Eisenberg), who sign up for a Holocaust tour of Poland, in an attempt to honor the memory of their immigrant grandmother. Their personalities clash as they confront both the pain of their past and the collective pain of their tour group.
In this episode of The Long Take Review, Greg, P.T., Antonio, and I try to explain why this film works as both a character study and a vehicle for bigger ideas. Greg then launches our discussion into the stratosphere by applying Nietzscheâs notion of The Rational Man to Eisenbergâs philosophical meditation on pain. We close out, as usual, with a debate about how far A Real Pain can go at the Oscars.
We go into SPOILER MODE at the 18:01 minute mark. If you are still undecided as to whether or not you want to book a tour with A Real Pain, you can listen safely until then.
Image Credit: IndieWire
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Based on popular discourse, critics often dub one movie a year the âOscar villain.â Thatâs usually a film that is a major contender in the race that also has a lot of haters or people who deem it unworthy of all the potential accolades. Jacques Audiardâs crime thriller musical, Emilia PĂ©rez, could very well be this yearâs Oscar villain; one only need look to the strong reactions that have flooded the Internet since the film became wildly available for subscribers to watch at home on Netflix. Many critics and viewers have identified potential problems with the representation of certain groups (to specify might be a spoiler). At the same time, the film stars four strong female actors who have been charming the press on the campaign trail; it doesnât hurt that two of them, Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez, are beloved pop culture powerhouses.
This episode of The Long Take Review can serve as a microcosm of this polarized discourse, as some of us loved it and some of us (very respectfully) hated it. We debate whether or not the songs facilitate the storytelling, whether or not the filmâs themes and plot make sense in the end, and try to determine a floor and ceiling for the filmâs nominations and wins.
We go into SPOILER MODE at the 27:47 minute mark. If you are still undecided about whether or not you want to fire up Netflix for Emilia PĂ©rez, you can listen safely until then.
Image Credit: LA Times
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