10 nominations for "Barbie," making it the second most-nominated film in the 81-year history of the Golden Globes, tying it with “Cabaret.” "Oppenheimer" is close behind with 8 nominations.
Ava DuVernay’s "Origin," Michael Mann’s "Ferrari," and "The Color Purple' all which have received rave reviews, were shut out of any nominations.
Best Motion Picture, Drama
"Oppenheimer"
"Killers of the Flower Moon"
"Maestro"
"Past Lives"
"The Zone of Interest"
"Anatomy of a Fall"
Best Picture, Musical or Comedy
"Barbie"
"Poor Things"
"American Fiction"
"The Holdovers"
"May December"
"Air"
Best Motion Picture – Non-English Language
"Anatomy of a Fall" — France
"Fallen Leaves" — Finland
"Io Capitano" — Italy
"Past Lives" — United States
"Society of the Snow" — Spain
"The Zone of Interest" — United Kingdom
Best Director – Motion Picture
Bradley Cooper — "Maestro"
Greta Gerwig — "Barbie"
Yorgos Lanthimos — "Poor Things"
Christopher Nolan — "Oppenheimer"
Martin Scorsese — "Killers of the Flower Moon"
Celine Song — "Past Lives"
OPENING THIS WEEK
"Wonka" — OPENS TODAY AT THE STATE AND THE MULTIPLEX
Based on the extraordinary character at the center of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," Roald Dahl’s most iconic children's book and one of the best-selling children's books of all time, "Wonka" tells the wondrous story of how the world's greatest inventor, magician and chocolate-maker became the beloved Willy Wonka we know today. From director Paul King ("Paddington") and starring Timothée Chalamet and Hugh Grant.
"Fallen Leaves" — OPENS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15 AT THE STATE
In modern-day Helsinki, two lonely souls in search of love meet by chance in a local karaoke bar. However, the pair's path to happiness is beset by numerous obstacles -- from lost numbers to mistaken addresses, alcoholism, and a charming stray dog. From writer/director Aki Kaurismäki.
SPECIAL SCREENINGS DOWNTOWN
"Gremlins" — PLAYS TONIGHT AT 7:30 PM AT THE STATE
Part of the Late Nights at the State series
From director Joe Dante and screenwriter Chris Columbus. A gadget salesman is looking for a special gift for his son and finds one at a store in Chinatown. The shopkeeper is reluctant to sell him the "mogwai" but sells it to him with the warning to never expose him to bright light, water, or to feed him after midnight. All of this happens, and the result is a gang of gremlins that decide to tear up the town on Christmas Eve.
"Eyes Wide Shut" — PLAYS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15 AT 9:30 PM AND THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21 AT 7:30 PM AT THE STATE
Part of the Late Nights at the State series
After Dr. Bill Hartford's (Tom Cruise) wife, Alice (Nicole Kidman), admits to having sexual fantasies about a man she met, Bill becomes obsessed with having a sexual encounter. He discovers an underground sexual group and attends one of their meetings -- and quickly discovers that he is in over his head. From writer/director Stanley Kubrick.
"Home Alone" — PLAYS SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17 AT 1:30 PM AT THE MICHIGAN (FREE!!!)
Part of the Holiday Classics Film Series
When 8-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) acts out the night before a family trip to Paris, his mother (Catherine O'Hara) makes him sleep in the attic. After the McCallisters mistakenly leave for the airport without Kevin, he awakens to an empty house and assumes his wish to have no family has come true. But his excitement sours when he realizes that two con men (Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern) plan to rob the McCallister residence, and that he alone must protect the family home. From director Chris Columbus and writer John Hughes.
"Four Daughters" — PLAYS SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17 AT 4:30 PM AT THE MICHIGAN
This riveting exploration of rebellion, memory, and sisterhood reconstructs the story of Olfa Hamrouni and her four daughters, unpacking a complex family history through intimate interviews and performance to examine how the Tunisian woman's two eldest were radicalized by Islamic extremists. Casting professional actresses as the missing daughters, along with acclaimed Egyptian-Tunisian actress Hind Sabri as Olfa, award-winning director Kaouther Ben Hania ("The Man Who Sold His Skin") restages pivotal moments in the family's life. These scenes are interwoven with confessions and reflections from Olfa and her younger daughters, offering the women agency to tell their own story and capturing moments of joy, loss, violence, and heartache.
Winner of four prizes including L'Oeil d'Or (Best Documentary) when it screened in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, Four Daughters is a compelling portrait of five women and a unique and ambitious work of nonfiction cinema that explores the nature of memory, the weight of inherited trauma, and the ties that bind mothers and daughters. Tunisia's entry for the Best International Feature Film at next year's Academy Awards. Presented in Arabic with English Subtitles.
"The Boys in the Boat" — ADVANCE SCREENING SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17 AT 4:45 PM AT THE MICHIGAN (OFFICIALLY OPENS AT THE MICHIGAN MONDAY, DECEMBER 25)
A sports drama based on the #1 New York Times bestselling non-fiction novel written by Daniel James Brown. The film, directed by George Clooney, is about the 1936 University of Washington rowing team that competed for gold at the Summer Olympics in Berlin. This inspirational true story follows a group of underdogs at the height of the Great Depression as they are thrust into the spotlight and take on elite rivals from around the world. Starring Joel Edgerton.
"National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" — PLAYS MONDAY, DECEMBER 18 AT 7:30 PM AT THE MICHIGAN
Part of the Films We Love series
As the holidays approach, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) wants to have a perfect family Christmas, so he pesters his wife, Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo), and children, as he tries to make sure everything is in line, including the tree and house decorations. However, things go awry quickly. His hick cousin, Eddie (Randy Quaid), and his family show up unplanned and start living in their camper on the Griswold property. Even worse, Clark's employers renege on the holiday bonus he needs. From director Jeremiah S. Chechik and screenwriter John Hughes.
CONTINUING DOWNTOWN
A 2023 American biographical drama film that centers on the relationship between American composer Leonard Bernstein and his wife Felicia Montealegre. It was directed by Bradley Cooper, from a screenplay he wrote with Josh Singer. It was produced by Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and Cooper, among others. The film stars Cooper as Bernstein alongside Carey Mulligan as Montealegre; Matt Bomer, Maya Hawke, and Sarah Silverman appear in supporting roles. Maestro premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on September 2, 2023, where it was nominated for the Golden Lion.
Has screenings of both the subtitled and dubbed versions of the film.
A 2023 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Produced by Studio Ghibli, loosely based on the 1937 novel of the same name by Genzaburō Yoshino, but the film has an original story that is not connected to the novel. Described as a "big fantastical film", it follows a boy named Mahito Maki (Soma Santoki) during the Pacific War who discovers an abandoned tower in his new town after his mother's death and enters a fantastical world with a talking grey heron.
Miyazaki announced his retirement in September 2013 but later reversed this decision. Production spanned approximately seven years, facing delays as it navigated challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic and Miyazaki's slowed animation pace. According to producer Toshio Suzuki, this is the most expensive film ever produced in Japan. The screenplay draws heavily from Miyazaki's childhood and explores themes of coming of age and coping with a world marked by conflict and loss. Joe Hisaishi composed the film's score, while Kenshi Yonezu wrote and sang the film's theme song, "Spinning Globe".
"Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce"
A 2023 American documentary concert film written, directed, and produced by Beyoncé Knowles-Carter. The film chronicles the development and execution of the Renaissance World Tour, Beyoncé's record-breaking 2023 stadium tour in support of her seventh studio album "Renaissance" (2022).
According to its official summary, the film highlights the creation of the album and tour production, as well as Beyoncé's "creative mind and purpose to create her legacy and master her craft." Her husband, Jay-Z, and three children, Blue Ivy, Rumi and Sir Carter, are featured in the film. Diana Ross, Megan Thee Stallion, and Kendrick Lamar also make appearances. The film was met with positive reviews, with praise for the concert footage, Beyoncé's stage presence, production and the behind-the-scenes elements.
The film accentuates the journey of RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR, from its inception to the opening in Stockholm, Sweden, to the finale in Kansas City, Missouri. It is about Beyoncé's intention, hard work, involvement in every aspect of the production, her creative mind and purpose to create her legacy, and master her craft. Received with extraordinary acclaim, Beyoncé's RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR created a sanctuary for freedom, and shared joy, for more than 2.7 million fans.
Academy Award winning filmmaker Emerald Fennell (Best Original Screenplay for “Promising Young Woman”) brings us a beautifully wicked tale of privilege and desire. Struggling to find his place at Oxford University, student Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) finds himself drawn into the world of the charming and aristocratic Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi), who invites him to Saltburn, his eccentric family's sprawling estate, for a summer never to be forgotten.
From acclaimed director Alexander Payne, this film follows a curmudgeonly instructor (Paul Giamatti) at a New England prep school who is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually he forms an unlikely bond with one of them — a damaged, brainy troublemaker (newcomer Dominic Sessa) — and with the school’s head cook, who has just lost a son in Vietnam (Da’Vine Joy Randolph).
COMING SOON
"Poor Things" — OPENS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22 AT THE MICHIGAN
From director Yorgos Lanthimos ("The Favourite," 2018) and starring Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe. Brought back to life by an unorthodox scientist, a young woman runs off with a lawyer on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, she grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation.
"The Color Purple" — OPENS MONDAY, DECEMBER 25 AT THE STATE
A musical adaptation of Alice Walker's novel about the life-long struggles of an African American woman living in the south during the early 1900s. From director Blitz Bazawule, aka Blitz the Ambassador, and starring Fantasia Barrino ("American Idol"), Taraji P. Henson ("Hidden Figures"), Halle Bailey ("The Little Mermaid"), Danielle Brooks ("Orange is the New Black"), Colman Domingo ("Selma," "If Beale Street Could Talk," "Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom"), Corey Hawkins ("In the Heights"), H.E.R. and producers Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, and Quincy Jones.
Non-commercial, fact based reporting is made possible by your financial support. Make your donation to WEMU today to keep your community NPR station thriving.
Like 89.1 WEMU on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
Contact WEMU News at 734.487.3363 or email us at studio@wemu.org
