Here’s where to watch the nominees
The 2020 Oscar nominations were announced Monday morning to lots of mixed feelings. If you want to catch up on some of the nominated films, here’s where you can watch them.
“Ford v Ferrari”
Nominations: Picture, film editing, sound editing, sound mixing
Review: Whether you care about motorsports or not, “Ford v Ferrari” is a kick: a rollicking true story and a moving depiction of male friendship.
Where to watch: Still in theaters.
“The Irishman”
Nominations: Picture, director, supporting actor, adapted screenplay, production design, cinematography, costume design, film editing, visual effects
Review: At 3.5 hours, “The Irishman” is long, to be sure, but it’s never less than compelling. Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci are each carrying a lifetime of work, with practiced ease.
Where to watch: Netflix.
“Jojo Rabbit”
Nominations: Picture, supporting actress, adapted screenplay, production design, costume design, film editing
Review: This sprightly, attractively composed coming-of-age comedy set in World War II Germany is an audacious high-wire act: a satire in which a buffoonish Adolf Hitler delivers some of the funniest moments, a wrenchingly tender portrait of a mother’s love for her son and a lampoon of the most destructive ideological forces that still threaten society.
Where to watch: Still in theaters.
“Joker”
Nominations: Picture, director, adapted screenplay, actor, cinematography, makeup and hairstyling, costume design, film editing, original score, sound editing, sound mixing
JAN. 24
The Gentlemen: Mickey Pearson (Matthew Mcconaughey) is a popular guy. The American expatriate runs a massive, lucrative marijuana operation in London, and he’s looking to cash out. Not surprisingly, mayhem ensues, with some would-be entrepreneurs looking to simply steal his empire out from under him. This latest effort from British crime connoisseur Guy Ritchie has received decent but not rapturous reviews — it’s already playing in the U.K. and Australia, and sports a 72 Tomatometer score.
The Last Full Measure: This tale of heroism and sacrifice during the Vietnam War spotlights the rescue efforts of Air Force pararescueman William Hart Pitsenbarger, who descended from a chopper into the jungle to rescue some 60 wounded men from an infantry company that had been ambushed and was outnumbered and pinned down in a battle east of Saigon in 1966. The film jumps forward to examine why Pitsenbarger (who died in the battle) never received the Medal of Honor — and the motive behind the ill-fated mission, dubbed Operation Abilene.
Run: Suspense thriller stars Sarah Paulson as a mom with a disturbing secret who raises her teenage daughter, Chloe, in isolation. Things begin to go sideways when the daughter learns the secret.
The Turning: Billed as a modern adaptation of Henry James’ 1898 ghost story “The Turn of the Screw,” this supernatural horror film is set in, yes, a creepy house in the sticks (in this case, the Maine countryside). A new nanny (Mackenzie Davis) hired to care for two disturbed orphans quickly learns there are dark secrets everywhere. Like lots of January releases, this one had a bumpy road into multiplexes — rewrites, a fired director and even a name change.
JAN. 31
Gretel & Hansel The Rhythm Section
FEB. 7
Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn
FEB. 14
Fantasy Island Sonic the Hedgehog What About Love
FEB. 21
Brahms: The Boy 2 The Call of the Wild
FEB. 28
Emma.
The Invisible Man The Ride
MARCH 6
First Cow Onward The Way Back
MARCH 13
Bloodshot The Informer I Still Believe
Review: While Joaquin Phoenix is always more than watchable, “Joker” has nowhere to go. Its characters are one-note cartoony, but fun is the last thing on this movie’s mind; it’s all despair, from its opening scenes on downward.
Where to watch: Buy or rent from Amazon, Vudu, Google Play and more. Or catch an encore run in theaters that begins Friday (see box at right).
“Little Women”
Nominations: Picture, adapted screenplay, actress, supporting actress, original score, costume design
Review: Greta Gerwig, in only her second feature film (following “Lady Bird”), pulls off a faithful rendition of the book that’s nonetheless deeply creative.
Where to watch: Still in theaters.
“Marriage Story”
Nominations: Picture, actor, actress, supporting actress, original screenplay, original score
Review: Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver are remarkably, heartbreakingly good as a couple trying to understand why they don’t love each other anymore.
Where to watch: Netflix; encore run Friday.
“1917”
Nominations: Picture, director, original screenplay, original score, cinematography, makeup/hairstyling, production design, sound editing, sound mixing, visual effects
Review: Sam Mendes’ WWI movie, which won two Golden Globes, is an emotional, moving experience that includes a brilliant feat of camera work.
Where to watch: Still in theaters.
“Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood”
Nominations: Picture, director, original screenplay, actor, supporting actor, cinematography, costume design, production design, sound editing, sound mixing
Review: What we have here, in Quentin Tarantino’s vision of Los Angeles at the time of the Manson family killings, is the past, reinvented wholesale, in what amounts to a phantasmagoria of the late 1960s.
Where to watch: Buy or rent from Amazon, Vudu, Google Play and more. And an encore run Friday.
“Parasite”
Nominations: Picture, director, original screenplay, international feature film, production design, film editing
Review: It’s best to see this Cannes grand-prize winner by Korean filmmaker Bong Joon Ho not knowing too much about it; the better to let its sly power sneak up on you.
Where to watch: Still in theaters.
“The Two Popes”
Nominations: Actor, supporting actor, adapted screenplay
Review: Who knew that serious talk about the future of the Catholic Church could be the source of so much fun?
Where to watch: Netflix.
Multiple nominees “The Joker” and “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” begin encore runs Friday in San Antonio. Still others, like “Ford v Ferrari” and “Parasite,” should be available on a few more screens locally.
But if you want to cram for the Oscars, which will be handed out Feb. 9, maybe just pitch a tent in the lobby of the Santikos Bijou. Tomorrow, in addition to bringing back “Joker” and “Hollywood,” the Bijou also brings “Marriage Story” to the big screen and reopens “Parasite,” “Jojo Rabbit,” “Ford v Ferrari” and “Judy” (Reneé Zellweger got a Best Actress nomination for her portrayal of Judy Garland).
And “1917” and “Little Women” continue their runs in the Northwest Side multiplex, meaning that all of the Best Picture nominees except “The Irishman” will be playing there tomorrow. So stock up on your caffeine source of choice and have at it.
“Bombshell”
Nominations: Actress, supporting actress, makeup/hairstyling
Review: It’s a timely, dramatic story, with a celebrated cast more than able to jolt it to life. But something went wrong.
Where to watch: Still in theaters.