My 2021 Oscar Predictions

It sort of felt like the Oscars would never come around this year, I won't lie. While I've enjoyed so many of the films from 2021, I'm also excited to move on from these predictions and get into a new year of film. Obviously, I very much have my fingers crossed for Kenneth Branagh to win anything and everything he's nominated for. 

Best Picture
Prediction: CODA
Alternate: The Power of the Dog

My Winner: Belfast

Best Director
Prediction: Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog
Alternate: Kenneth Branagh, Belfast

My Winner: Kenneth Branagh, Belfast

Best Actor
Prediction: Will Smith, King Richard
Alternate: Andrew Garfield, tick, tick...BOOM! 

My Winner: Andrew Garfield, tick, tick...BOOM!  

Best Actress
Prediction: Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Alternate: Kristen Stewart, Spencer

My Winner: Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye 

Best Supporting Actor
Prediction: Troy Kotsur, CODA
Alternate: Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog

My Winner: Troy Kotsur, CODA

Best Supporting Actress
Prediction: Ariana DeBose, West Side Story
Alternate: Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog

My Winner: Ariana DeBose, West Side Story

Best Adapted Screenplay
Prediction: CODA
Alternate: The Power of the Dog

My Winner: Dune

Best Original Screenplay
Prediction: Belfast
Alternate: Licorice Pizza

My Winner: Belfast

Best Cinematography
Prediction: Dune
Alternate: The Power of the Dog

My Winner: Dune

Best Costume Design
Prediction: Cruella
Alternate: Dune

My Winner: Cyrano

Best Film Editing
Prediction: tick, tick...BOOM!
Alternate: King Richard

My Winner: tick, tick...BOOM!

Best Makeup and Hairstyling 
Prediction: The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Alternate: Dune

My Winner: Dune

Best Production Design
Prediction: Dune
Alternate: Nightmare Alley

My Winner: Dune

Best Sound
Prediction: Dune
Alternate: No Time to Die

My Winner: Dune

Best Visual Effects
Prediction: Dune
Alternate: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

My Winner: Dune

Best Score
Prediction: Dune
Alternate: The Power of the Dog 

My Winner: Encanto

Best Original Song
Prediction: Encanto
Alternate: No Time to Die

My Winner: Encanto

Best Documentary Feature
Prediction: Summer of Soul
Alternate: Flee

My Winner: Flee

Best Animated Feature
Prediction: Encanto
Alternate: Flee

My Winner: Encanto

Best International Film
Prediction: Drive My Car
Alternate: The Worst Person in the World

My Winner: Flee

Best Animated Short
Prediction: Robin Robin
Alternate: The Windshield Wiper

Best Documentary Short
Prediction: The Queen of Basketball
Alternate: Audible

Best Live-Action Short
Prediction: The Long Goodbye
Alternate: Please Hold

My Winner: The Long Goodbye

Let me know what you think will win the Oscars on Twitter. x

A Love Letter to Amy March (Guest Post by Hannah Ackman)

Back in December on the night that I first saw Greta Gerwig's "Little Women," I wrote a love letter to Jo March. I detailed all the ways in which she had shaped me as a person and how Greta's adaptation perfectly brought her, and all the March sisters, to life. My 16-year-old little sister Hannah has long been a fan and avid defender of Amy March, way before it was cool to love her. She asked if she could write a piece for me to post on this blog about her relationship with Amy March. Of course (because I am part Meg March too), I said yes. 

I grew up being told I was Amy March. While most people would take offense to that, I was thrilled. I don't remember a specific moment that I saw a film of "Little Women" for the first time. I probably watched it long before I could understand half of what was being discussed. It seems it has been a part of me from my first moments. I still find myself in the story, specifically in the character of Amy.

However, in every adaptation I had seen, Amy March is portrayed as a spoiled brat who doesn't deserve anything she gets. She has "a way of getting out of the hard parts of life." Everyone always hates her, but I've never understood that. I saw her as ambitious and charming and, yes, a bit jealous. Growing up with a sister like Jo or Meg isn't easy; I would know. (Nicole is perfect, trust me.)

Even in my childhood, Amy was everything I wanted to be. I understood her frustration with her sisters, especially Jo, and her jealousy. My family couldn't understand it and honestly still can't today. They say burning a manuscript is terribly petty, but it is consistently among my favorite moments from the story in any version. I actively declare Amy as my favorite and it's useless to try and argue with me because it just makes me love her more. (Perhaps, that's another thing that Amy and I have in common.) The more I learned about her, the more I idolized her and the more I realized the faults in the movie adaptations. After all if she's as bad as people think, what does it say about Laurie that he would marry someone like her?

Upon watching the trailer for Greta Gerwig's adaptation, I couldn't believe her view on the story matched mine. I must have replayed it around six times before I had to return to my school day, but I couldn't stop thinking about it. Greta portrays Amy as determined, refined, and perhaps a bit spoiled. I had never related more. Beyond that, Florence Pugh is talented, dramatic, and a little sister herself - making her the perfect fit to portray my beloved Amy March.

I had heard of Saoirse Ronan, Laura Dern, and Timothée Chalamet and already loved Meryl Streep. But brilliant as they all are, it was Florence who I knew from the start was perfect for her role. I couldn't understand why, but I felt secure that I was going to love it.

Months later, the day after Christmas, I finally got to see Greta Gerwig's masterpiece. As predicted, I was stunned by Florence Pugh's performance. She perfectly embodies Amy in the tilt of her chin, her whining voice, her ignoring Meg's advice, and most importantly her evident adoration of Jo. I had never thought of Jo and Amy as being similar in any way, but it turns out that they're practically twins. Laura Dern really shows how Marmee herself is reflected back in each of the girls. She also gave me an insight into my own mother's life and how, like Amy, I have chosen a different path.

This new Amy has such a clear purpose to her actions from the very beginning. She loves fiercely, fights for her place bravely, and has to stay refined throughout anything. She is spiteful and petty as a child, but grows up to be remarkable and experienced in the ways of life. Florence may have made me love the manuscript burning scene even more (although Nicole told me not to get any ideas). I am only sixteen years old, but I find myself agreeing with Amy's views on love especially. I have never been a romantic like my sister; I just want to have some sort of say in the matter.

It is Amy March who justifies that life will continue when passion ends, that impulses can be good, and that sisters are forever. Luckily, Nicole is the Jo to my Amy which I think shows that we're closer than we can even imagine. 

By Hannah Ackman

Nicole's Personal Film Awards

In honor of the Oscars, I thought that I would share my own personal film awards. I thought about calling them The Gretas, but wasn't sure if that was too on the nose. I decided to do a combination of the traditional "above-the-line" Oscar categories and some more creative awards that are all my own. There are still a handful of 2019 films that I want to see ("Official Secrets" and "The Lighthouse" are at the top of my list), but I didn't want to hold off on posting these forever.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Laura Dern, Little Women
Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers
Billie Lourd, Booksmart
Florence Pugh, Little Women (WINNER) 
Zhao Shuzhen, The Farewell

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Timothée Chalamet, Little Women
Chris Evans, Knives Out
Shia LaBeouf, Honey Boy
Rob Morgan, Just Mercy (WINNER)
Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Ana de Armas, Knives Out
Awkwafina, The Farewell
Scarlett Johannson, Marriage Story
Saoirse Ronan, Little Women (WINNER)
Tessa Thompson, Little Woods

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Timothée Chalamet, The King
Roman Griffin Davis, Jojo Rabbit
Adam Driver, Marriage Story (WINNER)
Taron Egerton, Rocketman
George McKay, 1917

Best Adapted Screenplay
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Jojo Rabbit
Just Mercy
Little Women (WINNER)
The Two Popes

Best Original Screenplay
1917
Knives Out (WINNER)
Marriage Story
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
The Farewell

Film that Made Me Cry the Most
Avengers: Endgame
Frozen II
Just Mercy
Little Women (WINNER)
The Farewell

Film that Made Me Laugh the Most
Booksmart
Downton Abbey
Jojo Rabbit
Knives Out (WINNER)
Marriage Story

Actor Who Showed the Most Range Across Projects
Timothée Chalamet (The King, Little Women)
Laura Dern (Marriage Story, Little Women)
Adam Driver (Marriage Story, The Report, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker)
Scarlett Johannson (Avengers: Endgame, Jojo Rabbit, Marriage Story) (WINNER)
Florence Pugh (Midsommar, Fighting with My Family, Little Women)

Best Overlooked Film
All is True
Blinded by the Light
Just Mercy (WINNER)
Little Woods
The King

Most Rewatchable Film
Blinded by the Light
Downton Abbey
Little Women
Spider-Man: Far from Home
Yesterday (WINNER)

Best Ensemble 
Downton Abbey
Jojo Rabbit
Hustlers
Knives Out
Little Women (WINNER)

Best Tiny Role
Alan Alda, Marriage Story
Noah Galvin, Booksmart
Jayne Houdyshell, Little Women
Keanu Reeves, Always Be My Maybe
Andrew Scott, 1917 (WINNER)

Best Design
1917
Downton Abbey
Knives Out
Little Women
Rocketman (WINNER)

Best Transformation
Taron Egerton, Rocketman (WINNER)
Jamie Foxx, Just Mercy
Charlize Theron, Bombshell
Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit
Renée Zellweger, Judy

Best Youth Performance (under 21 years old)
Dean Charles Chapman, 1917 (WINNER)
Roman Griffin Davis, Jojo Rabbit
Noah Jupe, Honey Boy
Thomasin McKenzie, Jojo Rabbit
Eliza Scanlen, Little Women

Best Comic Book Movie
Avengers: Endgame (WINNER)
Captain Marvel
Spider-Man: Far from Home

Best Use of Music in a Film
1917
Blinded by the Light
Little Women
Rocketman (WINNER)
The Two Popes

Best Director
Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story
Greta Gerwig, Little Women (WINNER)
Sam Mendes, 1917
Céline Sciamma, Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit
Lulu Wang, The Farewell

Best Picture
1917
Jojo Rabbit
Little Women (WINNER)
Marriage Story
The Farewell

Obviously, I love "Little Women" quite a lot. What were your favorite films of 2019? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter. x

My 2019 Oscar Predictions

Can you believe that the Oscars are this Sunday? With this shorter season and the earlier ceremony date, it's felt like time has just flown by. I'm very excited to watch them, especially as some of my favorite people (Taika Waititi! Mark Ruffalo! Oscar Isaac!) are presenting. How do you all feel about not having a host again this year?

You'll be able to find my full predictions, along with the rest of the team's on the Next Best Picture post, but I wanted to share them here as well. If you want to hear why I've chosen these, you can check out our predictions podcast. I'm definitely not sure that I'm right....but these are what I've gone with.

Best Picture
Prediction: 1917
Alternate: Parasite

Best Director
Prediction: Sam Mendes, 1917
Alternate: Bong Joon-ho, Parasite

Best Actor
Prediction: Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
Alternate: Adam Driver, Marriage Story

Best Actress
Prediction: Renée Zellwegger, Judy
Alternate: Saoirse Ronan, Little Women

Best Supporting Actor
Prediction: Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Alternate: Joe Pesci, The Irishman

Best Supporting Actress
Prediction: Laura Dern, Marriage Story
Alternate: Florence Pugh, Little Women

Best Adapted Screenplay
Prediction: Little Women
Alternate: Jojo Rabbit

Best Original Screenplay
Prediction: Parasite
Alternate: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Best Cinematography
Prediction: 1917
Alternate: Joker

Best Costume Design
Prediction: Little Women
Alternate: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Best Film Editing
Prediction: Ford v Ferrari
Alternate: Parasite

Best Makeup and Hairstyling 
Prediction: Bombshell
Alternate: 1917

Best Production Design
Prediction: 1917
Alternate: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Best Sound Editing
Prediction: 1917
Alternate: Ford v. Ferrari

Best Sound Mixing
Prediction: 1917
Alternate: Ford v. Ferrari

Best Visual Effects
Prediction: 1917
Alternate: Avengers: Endgame

Best Score
Prediction: 1917
Alternate: Joker

Best Original Song
Prediction: "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again," Rocketman
Alternate: "Stand Up," Harriet

Best Documentary Feature
Prediction: American Factory
Alternate: For Sama

Best Animated Feature
Prediction: Toy Story 4
Alternate: Klaus

Best International Film
Prediction: Parasite
Alternate: Pain & Glory

Best Animated Short
Prediction: Hair Love
Alternate: Kitbull

Best Documentary Short
Prediction: Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone
Alternate: St Louis Superman

Best Live-Action Short
Prediction: The Neighbors' Window
Alternate: Nefta Football Club

Let me know what you think will win the Oscars in the comments below or on Twitter. x

"Little Women" and Me: A Love Letter to Jo March and Greta Gerwig

I recently returned home from an advanced press screening of "Little Women." (This will luckily prevent the inevitable fight with my family when I would have left Christmas Day celebrations to go see it.) I have a proper review for In Their Own League forthcoming, but I needed to get my more emotional, personal feelings onto the page about what this novel has meant to me throughout my life and how well this film has captured it. What can I say, Jo March would definitely approve.

I don't remember when I first read or watched "Little Women." It feels like it must have been a part of me since birth, though in truth I was likely eight or nine when I first read Louisa May Alcott's masterpiece. Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy were as much my childhood friends as my elementary school classmates were. Laurie was my first love and Beth, my first loss. In short, I was one of many girls raised on "Little Women."

Growing up, I wanted to be Jo March more than anything. It was Jo who inspired my love of writing and Jo who taught me what it meant to be a writer. I was forever scribbling on something, though I don't know which was worse: my childish short stories or my angsty high school poems. Now, at twenty-five, I have circled back to being a writer as a blogger and film and theatre critic. And at times, I feel that there's a script rustling around in my head, begging to be written.

Director and writer Greta Gerwig captures what it means for Jo to be a writer better than I've ever seen before. Perhaps, it is because Gerwig is a writer herself. There is a great scene towards the end of the film in which we get to see Jo's writing process as she gives birth to her great novel. She eats and sleeps amongst its pages, tirelessly working and reworking. Jo taught me that being a writer means to work hard.

As much as I idolized Jo in my childhood, I came to the realization in my teens that I was as much a Meg as a Jo. I am the mom friend extraordinaire, forever ready with a tissue or a Bandaid and always getting told off by my younger sister for attempting to mother her. I yearn for fine things, romance, and a family and often was a bit ashamed of this part of myself when I was younger. I thought that to be strong and smart, you had to be a Jo or an Amy. It was only as I grew older that I could accept this Meg-like side of myself.

I've always felt that film adaptations didn't do Meg justice, didn't understand that Alcott shows that both Meg and Jo's paths are equally valid. But this film has a beautiful portrayal of Meg by the wonderful Emma Watson. It feels like a special blessing to have an actress that I've admired for so long play one of my favorite literary characters and she does a splendid job. In this version, we get to see Meg fall in love with John Brooke (played perfectly by James Norton, my coworker once upon a time when I was an intern at the Donmar Warehouse) and then we get to see them struggle to raise a family and keep their love as they deal with being poor. We see that Meg's decision to follow her heart and marry a "penniless tutor" (Aunt March's words, not mine) is as brave as Jo or Amy's decisions to pursue their passions.

When I was eight years old, to my delight, my parents gifted me with the younger sister I'd always wanted. Hannah is the Amy to my Meg, the Beth to my Jo. She has never understood my frustration with Amy, declaring the spoiled brat her favorite character. I cannot wait for her to see Florence Pugh's performance because Gerwig has somehow made me appreciate and even like Amy. In this portrayal, I can see my younger sister reflected back to me.

A few years ago, my sister suddenly fell ill. She was diagnosed with a heart condition and eventually received a heart transplant. For months, it felt like my world was teetering on its axis. Now, our life is largely back to normal, but we know that, as Jo says, it can never be the same. I have always been sensitive to stories about sisters (catch me crying over "Frozen" or "The Hunger Games"), but "Little Women" suddenly hurts in new and fresh ways. I understand Jo's struggle to understand a world that could hurt Beth, her desperation not to be left behind.

I started crying about halfway through this film and never really got it back together. I don't want to spoil it, but the way that Gerwig builds the narrative around Beth's illness and death is exquisite and poised for optimal emotional impact without ever feeling manipulative. I cried because I now know what Jo was feeling, sitting at her sister's bedside, trying to bring about her recovery by sheer force of will. I know because I've sat there. And as someone who has, I can attest to the fact that Saoirse Ronan's performance was perfect.

Like Jo, I had dreams of living in New York City and making some large contribution to culture and the world. I moved to New York a little over a year ago and, like Jo, found that the city didn't inspire my creativity as I had hoped. (Unfortunately, I did not meet any dreamy professors too willing to offer advice; Louis Garrel makes Professor Bhaer seem like quite the catch in this film.) After several months of misery, I began to feel that I would be better off at home, back in North Carolina where I could be near my family. My sister's illness has made me realize how important each moment together is and I had already had my grand year abroad doing my Master's in London.

And yet, leaving New York felt like giving up, not just on the city, but on some part of myself and my dreams and who I imagined I would be. I spent many therapy sessions trying to come to terms with my decision; I knew it was best for my mental (and financial) health to leave and yet, I struggled. Everything clicked into place one day when I realized that Jo March had also left New York to be near her sisters and that it was back home, not in the city, that she wrote her masterpiece.

Please, don't expect a great novel from me anytime soon, but since moving home, I've reviewed many theatrical productions, attended my first film festival as a member of the press, written countless reviews and blog posts, and been accepted into the North Carolina Film Critics Association. I feel comfortable that I, like Jo, made the right choice.

It felt very special to see this with my mother. Saoirse Ronan is my favorite actress; Meryl Streep is hers. We share a love for Laura Dern, who brilliantly portrays Marmee in this film. (My sister actually calls my mother "Marmee" as a pet name, on occasion.) Marmee is the calm amongst the storm, who holds down the fort for her daughters, and yet this version allows her to be more than that, too. By incorporating Marmee's best line from the novel, "I am angry nearly every day of my life," we are given a glimpse into who this woman really is. I think that "Little Women" is something that is special for many mothers and daughters; it has certainly been inextricably linked to mine and my mother's life.

All of this is to say: Greta Gerwig is a genius who took a novel that is over a century old and made it feel fresh while still respecting and loving it. She brought the characters to life in a way that allowed me to recognize all of my old friends, while also seeing them each from new angles. She didn't leave out a single important thing -- from Amy's limes to Laurie's promise to be a saint. This film feels made for me and yet, I also feel oddly comforted by knowing that there are people out there -- namely, Gerwig and Saoirse Ronan -- who understand exactly what Jo March and "Little Women" mean in the same way that I do.

Getting Ready for Film Fest 919

I'm very excited to share that I'm attending my first film festival as a member of the press next week. Film Fest 919 is back for its second year and I'll be there covering quite a few films for Next Best Picture. For those that aren't being reviewed by me for Next Best Picture, I'll be writing a short review here on my blog (partially to help me remember my thoughts so that I can be on the NBP podcast reviews of them). I will also be writing a piece for Next Best Picture recapping the festival so make sure to keep an eye out for that.

I attended a couple of screenings last year at Film Fest 919 ("Boy Erased" and "The Favourite"), but wasn't able to do more because it was the weekend that I was apartment hunting in New York City. I'm thrilled to be in town for the whole time and there four out of the five days. Last year, they had movies like "Roma" and "Green Book" that went on to win major awards so it seems that this might be a good year for their opening and closing films, "Marriage Story" and "Jojo Rabbit."

Film Fest 919 has an impressive array of films, many of which have great reviews from Cannes, Sundance, TIFF, and other previous festivals. One of my favorite things about it is that it is run by two women, Randi Emerman and Carol Marshall. It takes place at the Silverspot Cinema in Chapel Hill and runs from October 9 to 13.

I'm thrilled to get to see these films, some of which I'm not sure we'll get here in Raleigh in cinemas like "The King" which may skip us and go straight to Netflix or foreign film "The Truth." Here is a list of the films I'm planning on seeing:

• Marriage Story 
• The Report
• Honey Boy
• The Truth 
• Clemency
• Portrait of a Lady on Fire
• The Two Popes
• Motherless Brooklyn
• Just Mercy 
• The King
• Jojo Rabbit

Is anyone else planning on going to Film Fest 919? Does anyone have tips for attending a smaller film festival as a member of the press? Let me know on Twitter. x

Review: All is True

RATING: ★★★★

Sometimes I feel like I ought to write Kenneth Branagh a thank you note for always making films that are so oriented towards my personal tastes. Branagh is one of my favorite directors and his 2015 Cinderella one of my top five films of all time. I also have a fondness for Branagh's films as he is the president of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London which my best friend attends and he has a tendency to cast RADA students and graduates in his films.

When it was first announced that Branagh was directing and starring in a film in which he would play William Shakespeare at the end of his life, I was thrilled. Certainly, Branagh understands Shakespeare better than just about any living person, something proved to me by seeing the Hamlet he directed at RADA last year. Adding Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, and one of my all time favorite stage actors Hadley Fraser to the mix only made me more excited. The film didn't get stellar reviews after its short Oscar qualifying run in LA late last year and its release in the UK earlier this year, but I'm thrilled that it's now finally in select theatres across the United States.

This film is a fascinating look at Shakespeare like we've never seen him before on film. While it's certainly fanciful and takes lots of liberties with the facts that we do know (a bisexual Shakespeare? it's more likely than you think), it's also a far cry from the horrifically-inaccurate-if-wildly-entertaining Shakespeare in Love. Branagh brings a lot to the role of Shakespeare, the great poet and playwright, who is returning to Stratford upon Avon after two decades in London and has to reforge a place for himself in the town that he grew up in and the family he left behind, while finally dealing with the grief of losing his only son and wondering what sort of legacy he will have after his death.

It delighted me to see a Shakespeare who is less concerned about if people will remember him once he's gone and more concerned about where the money he'd spent his life accumulating will go upon his death as he has no son or grandson and doesn't particularly fancy it going to his Puritan theatre-hating son-in-law. Much of this domestic drama is centered around him rebuilding his relationships with his wife and two daughters.

While the film certainly explores gender politics and presents a Shakespeare who has constantly underestimated and pushed away the women in his life, it also doesn't heavy-handidly force modern feminism into places it doesn't fit like many period dramas are prone to doing. I don't think it's a stretch to think that the man who wrote roles like Lady Macbeth and Beatrice could come to respect the women in his life.

While Branagh is clearly the star, the supporting cast are all lovely. Judi Dench is particularly good as the weathered down, elderly, somewhat frumpy wife Anne Hathaway though she is much older than Branagh. It's a far cry from her normal period drama roles playing Queen Victoria or Queen Elizabeth I or Lady Catherine de Bourgh, but she does it beautifully.

For any fellow theatre fans, this movie is particularly exciting as Hadley Fraser plays Shakespeare's annoyingly Puritan son-in-law John. He gets a decent storyline and some really lovely acting moments, in addition to a very cool beard.

Branagh himself is utterly transformed by makeup and prosthetics to the point of being nearly unrecognizable. The production value on the whole movie is wonderful and it really transports you to life in a village in England at this time, without the flashiness of your typical film about this period. There are also some gorgeous scenery shots and the cinematography of the whole film is rather good.

As the film does move at quite a slow pace, it won't be for everyone. But I think that anyone with a fondness for Branagh's work or interest in the life of Shakespeare would enjoy it. It made me think about the way that we handle grief and how even great men (and women) often feel lost in their personal lives despite their success. I can't wait for this film to come out on DVD so I can share it with my mom.

This review is an expanded and edited version of the one written for my Letterboxd account.

Review: Little Woods

RATING: ★★★★

In Little Woods, Nia DaCosta deftly directs Tessa Thompson and Lily James as two sisters struggling to survive in a drab North Dakota town. It's a very respectable directorial debut from DaCosta who manages to capture everyday problems that still feel very high stakes, even though the film can at times feel a bit meandering.

Ollie and Deb are adopted sisters struggling in the aftermath of their mother's death, with foreclosure on her house looming and no money to speak of. While Deb contends with an unwanted pregnancy with her ex, the father of her toddler son, Ollie has only a few days left on her probation for smuggling and selling illegal oxycodone from across the border in Canada. Ollie attempts to find ways to make ends meet legally despite the local drug dealer who wants her as a business partner and the people of the town who continue to ask her what she has, but things get more complicated when her sister tells her of her pregnancy.

Both Thompson and James give career highlight performances. Thompson is great as Ollie, a woman who clearly wants more from life than what she currently has, but is plagued by exhaustion that's apparent in her eyes. James is given grittier stuff to work with here than her normal roles and proves that she's a versatile actress to boot. Several of her scenes in the latter half of the movie should convince viewers that she is one of the best rising actresses working today.

The supporting cast all do their parts well, but it's certainly Thompson and James's movie. The movie is bleak and drab, not just in subject but in color scheme. It's impossible not to feel the oppressive weight of these women's world while watching it. The first part of the movie can feel a bit slow, but the second half speeds up and keeps you on the edge of your seat with fear for what will happen to Ollie, Deb, and Deb's young son.

DaCosta certainly has some interesting commentary on the healthcare system woven in, as people go across the border to Canada to receive treatment, and perhaps opioid addiction too. My favorite thing about the film though is how utterly unglamorous Thompson and James are throughout. This isn't to say that the two of them aren't beautiful women because they are. But I appreciate that this isn't one of those movies where women are trekking through the wilderness and yet have perfect hair and makeup. I'm not sure that there's a scene in the whole film where Thompson isn't dressed in a sweatshirt or hoodie.

To me, this is one of the greatest proofs of female influence in the film -- its understanding that a hard life like Ollie and Deb are living takes a physical toll. This isn't the sort of movie that will be nominated for any Oscars or maybe even be shown in the big movie theatre chains, but it's certainly worth a watch and proves that DaCosta, Thompson, and James are all women to keep your eye on.

I'm not sure what we did to deserve a superstar pairing like this in a female-directed film, but I'd sure love more like it.

Interview: LUCIE PANKHURST, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

A former dancer herself, Lucie Pankhurst has choreographed and movement directed for television, theatre, commercials, and film. The films she has worked on include Florence Foster Jenkins starring Meryl Streep, Maleficent starring Angelina Jolie, and Snow White and the Huntsman starring Kristin Stewart.

More recently, she was the choreographer for one of my favorite films of the year, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. You can check out my video review of the book and the film here. I was thrilled to have the chance to chat with her about what it's like to choreograph for film and her work on the Guernsey movie.

Lucie Pankhurst

How did you first become interested in choreography? 
I fell in love with music first and by the time I could toddle, I was wigglin'! Music evoked stories and feelings in me that I could live out and exorcise through dancing. My parents were supportive of this development, for which I'll always be grateful, so I started doing creative movement classes before committing to the absurdly short life of a professional dancer.

I understood how short it was going to be, so prioritised performing while I could and learned from some of the most gifted and successful choreographers at that time, but I'd been steadily working as a choreographer all along. For me, choreography, the making of the dance, was part of being a dancer...and, in truth, when you've been doing it for all of your conscious life, your default setting is to see and experience life in terms of movement and dance.

Glen Powell and Lily James

What's the process of choreographing for a film like? 
It depends on the requirement, on how much the dance has its own significance within the narrative. So, Florence Foster Jenkins had an uncut sequence of dance, because that character was taking the floor and dancing, as part of his story. That lead to three months of tutoring, as well as the choreography of the sequence itself. With Snow White, the movement on screen was incidental, used in this case to show Snow White and her Little People getting more comfortable with each other and having a moment of enjoyment while on a dangerous quest.

In any case, the script is first to contextualise the movement, followed by the music for me to prepare for the first meeting with the director, who'll describe what they want the scene(s) to serve. Then, communications with the 2nd A.D. to schedule sufficient rehearsals, which will be filmed and shared with the director, producers, costume department and talent in question to practice and refine before shooting.

How would you say choreographing for the screen is different from choreographing for live dance or theatre? 
With live dance or theatre, you have to put emphasis on links and continuum in a way that is eradicated by the editing process of television or film.

The choreography in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is beautiful. Was there anything in particular that inspired you? 
Thank you! My inspiration was easily found. I love jazz music of pretty much any era with a fervent passion, so the scene in the jazz club was dreamy for me. As usual, I research and check that I'm historically accurate - a process that is inspiring enough in itself. Lily James has a dance background, so could pick up choreography pretty much through osmosis and Glen Powell committed his efforts and attention to the task with an energy that was an utter credit to him!

From the Guernsey movie

How does choreographing something set in a historical period like the Guernsey movie or Florence Foster Jenkins differ from something like Maleficent?
If I'm working on a scene that demands historical dance, it really is my duty to all who have gone before to research as thoroughly as possible. Maleficent, although set in a fairie tale, was an approximately medieval fairie tale, so I researched medieval dance and the special interest groups that keep this alive.

Do you have to take the costumes the actors will be wearing into account while choreographing? 
The ladies and gents of the costume department are often wonderfully a few steps ahead of me and insert crafty elasticated gussets and splits into skirts...!!

How do you work with lead actors like Lil James and Glen Powell who might come in with varying levels of dance experience and need to be worked into dance numbers? 
I work as required and as rehearsal and availability render possible. Often, the actor in question will proactively request what they feel they need.

What was your favorite part of working on the Guernsey film? 
This isn't a great answer, but all of it. It was a joy working with the director, Mike Newell, who also had a great appreciation of the impact of well-captured dance in a scene. Lily James and Glen Powell couldn't have been more gratifying to work with and to top it off, I had wonderful dancers!

Is there anything that you're working on now that you're excited about?
I've just finished filming the Horrible Histories Movie, which was a fairly relentless series of joys...so I'm pretty excited to see how that comes out!

You can find out more about Lucie Pankhurst from her website. You can also follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

Photos taken from Lucie Pankhurst's website or from the Guernsey trailer.