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Steven Spielberg and “West Side Story” Join the Oscar Race in the Lead, Upsetting All the Prognosticators

Roger Friedman
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Steven Spielberg and “West Side Story” Join the Oscar Race in the Lead, Upsetting All the Prognosticators

So: Steven Spielberg’s version of “West Side Story” is a year late because of the pandemic. Screened today and last night, “WSS” joins the Oscar race big time, in the lead, upsetting all the Oscar prognosticators.

I told you back in September as soon as they released the trailer that “WSS” would be the Oscar movie. Last year, the Academy went for the beautiful, artistic, small side “Nomadland,” my favorite film of 2020. But I knew that if “WSS” was any good, it would be the film to beat. And so it is.

We can’t review it yet even though there was a premiere last night in New York (I was at the more important Gotham Awards). But press screenings last night turned into ecstatic Tweets. Some said the Spielberg version was better than the 1961 original. No, they are different films. Robert Wise’s movie will always the the classic, the OG, it stands the test of time. Spielberg and Tony Kushner and cast have done the impossible, however. They’ve put a totally fresh spin on it. They will reap the rewards. They will need a special award for Justin Peck for choreography.

The entire cast is sensational although Rita Moreno, imminently 90 years old, who was in the original, has received a gift from Spielberg like no other– and she pays it forward to us. She gets to sing “Somewhere (There’s A Place for Us).” You will be full of tears by the time she’s finished.

When Spielberg announced he was making “West Side Story,” I immediately wrote that Ansel Elgort was my choice for Tony. Twice. I also suggested Camila Cabello for Maria. Later I told Spielberg that I’d written this. He told me that they’d approached Cabello, but she said she wasn’t ready for such a big acting job. The role went to Rachel Zegler, who is now about to become a star. As for Elgort, I’ll take credit for making my early suggestion as he picks his own awards.

While I watched “WSS” today I was thinking that the people who produced the most recent and quite reviled version on Broadway should now be arrested and made to stand trial for crimes against humanity. I went to see it on December 20, 2019, I paid for my ticket because the equally reviled Scott Rudin was never to going to give me a press seat. The show was a nightmare, the polar opposite of Spielberg’s movie.

A young actor named Ben Cook played Riff. But by January 5th he was out of the show thanks to an injury. He never returned. So guess who I was surprised to see featured today in the “Gee Officer Krupke” number on screen? The very same Ben Cook. What a coincidence! He made lemonade out of lemons. Good for him!

So the Oscar race is on. With “Belfast” still in the lead for me we get “WSS,” “King Richard,” “CODA,” “Dune,” “Tick Tick Boom,” “Being the Ricardos,” “Parallel Mothers.” “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” at least. After tomorrow we’ll know about “Nightmare Alley.” Not a bad group. And “Power of the Dog” is still a strong possibility. The sands of time are ever shifting.

Maggie Gyllenhaal’s “Lost Daughter” Sweeps Gotham Independent Film Awards, “Flee” is Best Documentary

Roger Friedman
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Maggie Gyllenhaal’s “Lost Daughter” Sweeps Gotham Independent Film Awards, “Flee” is Best Documentary

The only place to be on Monday night in New York was at 55 Wall Street where the independent film Gotham Awards went off without a hitch and with plenty of celebrities.

And what a night it was: Maggie Gyllenhaal’s “The Lost Daughter” swept with Best Feature, Best Screenplay and Best Breakthrough Director. It was quite an achievement for the award winning and much praised actress, who is also the wife of a famous actor (Peter Sarsgaard), daughter of a screenwriter Naomi Foner) and director (Stephen Gyllenhaal) and sister of a famous actor (Jake Gyllenhaal). Maggie thanked them all in her various speeches, but she did it herself, and she is a new force to be reckoned with in the film world.

“The Lost Daughter” also won Olivia Colman a tie for Best Performance in a Film. Colman tied in the gender neutral category with veteran actor Frankie Faison for “The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain.” They were really Best Actress and Best Actor, but no one wanted to say it.

Best supporting performance in a film went to Troy Kotsur, a terrific actor who is also deaf, in “CODA/” The Sian Heder film is a dark horse in this year’s Oscar race but deserves  a spot among the 10 finalists. “CODA” is a gem from Apple/A24 which has done little to promote it. “CODA” also took home Breakthrough Performer for Emilia Jones.

Best Documentary Feature went to “Flee,” directed by Jonas Poher Rasmussen.  Best International Feature went to ” Drive My Car,” directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi.

Television awards were handed out, as well, in a very long but entertaining ceremony. The presenters included Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Ruth Negga, and Ethan Hawke, who won (in a tie) Outstanding Performance in a new Series for “The Good Lord Bird” on Showtime. Other notables in the audience of 800 people, all of whom dined in a huge Cipriani meal, included Caroline Aaron and Maren Hinkle from “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” Broadway great Brian Stokes Mitchell, Jennifer Coolidge, from “White Lotus,” and “Slave Play” playwright Jeremy O. Harris. There were several special awards including a presentation to the Actors Fund by former mayor Mike Bloomberg. Director Jane Campion (“Power of the Dog”) was honored, as was actor Peter Dinklage, and popular film exec Eammon Bowles. There was a special citation for late poet/filmmaker Kathleen Collins, who died in 1988 but whose memory has been kept alive by her talented daughter, Nina Collins.

The television awards:

Breakthrough Series (over 40 minutes)

Squid Game
Kim Ji-yeon, Hwang Dong-hyu, executive producers (Netflix)

Breakthrough Series (under 40 minutes)

Reservation Dogs
Sterlin Harjo, Taika Waititi, creators; Taika Waititi, Sterlin Harjo, Garrett Basch, executive producers (FX)

Breakthrough Nonfiction Series

Philly D.A.
Ted Passon, Yoni Brook, Nicole Salazar, creators; Dawn Porter, Sally Jo Fifer, Lois Vossen, Ryan Chanatry, Gena Konstantinakos, Jeff Seelbach, Patty Quillin, executive producers (Topic, Independent Lens, PBS)

Outstanding Performance in a New Series

Thuso Mbedu in The Underground Railroad (Amazon Studios)

Ethan Hawke in The Good Lord Bird (Showtime)

Overnight: Tony Bennett-Lady Gaga Spikes High Ratings, Sends Album to Top of Charts

Roger Friedman
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Overnight: Tony Bennett-Lady Gaga Spikes High Ratings, Sends Album to Top of Charts

What a night for TonyBennett!

His special, “One Last Time,” with Lady Gaga, was the highest rated network non sports show on Sunday night. The overnight total was 6.13 million and it will adjust higher by tomorrow with delayed viewing.

The audience skewed older with just 400,000 of those viewers in the 18-49 range. But the oldsters tuned in like crazy.

When the night began, Tony and Gaga’s album, “Love for Sale,” was number 3o on iTunes. This morning it’s in the top 10. On amazon, it’s the number 2 CD, held back only by Adele. Quite an accomplishment.

Tony and Gaga have 6 Grammy nominations. I’m guessing they win all 6 including Album of the Year. Contemporary pop had a mediocre year. “Love for Sale” is the class choice. And imagine if they have Tony make an appearance of some kind.

I went to the live show at Radio City back on August 3rd and was impressed with how the producers organized this hour long special. It was perfectly concise, and showed Tony was simply amazing as he performed solo and with Lady Gaga. Tony may have Alzheimer’s but as a performer he didn’t miss a beat. His voice soared. He is just remarkable.

Lady Gaga really deserves so much credit. She is now the rare once in a generation throwback to a music and movie star who can also host a TV special with ease. She is a Star with a capital S. And of course MGM ran ads for Gaga’s movie, “House of Gucci,” during the special to tie everything together.

Wait, there’s more: MTV will host a Bennett-Gaga Unplugged on December 16th. This is the show they taped before Radio City, no guests allowed. And then there’s a Paramount Plus documentary set for next year. This was the whole CBS-Viacom package, and no matter what it cost, it was worth it.

 

UPDATED Adele Loses Her Grip on Streaming: Taylor Swift Retakes Number 1 on Spotify, Singles Spotty on Apple Music

Roger Friedman
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UPDATED Adele Loses Her Grip on Streaming: Taylor Swift Retakes Number 1 on Spotify, Singles Spotty on Apple Music

The Adele “30” fervor is over.

I told you on Friday that sales for Adele’s “30” were down 75% from her “25” in 2015. That’s a steep drop. First week sales did not crack 1 million.

Most of Adele’s sales were from CDs and downloads. Streaming was a minor factor. That was a surprise after proclamations that “30” had set streaming records.

Well, now the stream is drying up. For the first few days of release, Adele commanded the top dozen or more spots on Spotify’s daily US chart. But this morning, Taylor Swift is number 1 again with her 10 minute “All Too Well.” Adele’s “Easy on Me” is number 2. And then there are only two other “30” tracks on Spotify’s top singles list, “Oh My God,” and “Can I Get It.”

Over on Apple Music’s Top 200, Adele has just three tracks. The first is number 185, from her “25” album. There are two more, also from that album. Apple Music streaming is ignoring “30.” And that’s even after Adele gave Zane Lowe her recipe for porridge!

Updated thanks to a sharp eyed Adele fan: Singles are spotty on the Apple Music chart. But “Easy on Me” holds on to number 1.

Streaming for all tracks on “30” except for “Easy on Me” is pretty low. While the single has 355 million streams, the other songs average 25 million. According to hitsdailydouble.com, “Easy on Me” was second to “All Too Well” the week ending November 18th in revenue, by a lot: Swift earned $290,000 to Adele’s $130,000.

I did have a feeling this would happen. Those songs are doorstops. They’re too long for streaming. “All Too Well” is a phenom and one of a kind. Adele has several songs over 5 and 6 minutes. Streaming is for people with concentration issues. They’re not going to sit still for that. And many of the Adele songs sound similar have the same theme. One is all you need, and that’s “Easy On Me.” Sony had better rev up “Can I Get It” as a single, if that even matters.

Review: Ben Affleck Gives An Affecting Performance in George Clooney’s “The Tender Bar,” the Perfect Movie for Streaming

Roger Friedman
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Review: Ben Affleck Gives An Affecting Performance in George Clooney’s “The Tender Bar,” the Perfect Movie for Streaming

I was a little surprised to see an Academy DVD of George Clooney’s “The Tender Bar” arrive over the weekend. Even though it was screened a while ago in LA with Jackson Browne playing some tunes at a reception, this Amazon Studios film has been almost impossible to get hold of.

Now I know why. JR Moehringer’s memoir was an interesting task to undertake for Clooney as a director. It’s a small, quiet movie. Clooney and William Monahan have done a lovely job adapting it. Ben Affleck gives an affecting performance. But there’s insubstantial-ness to it that makes “The Tender Bar” a great film for streaming, but not for movie theaters.

Moehringer’s father was an itinerant radio show host who left his wife and kid and couldn’t keep a job for long. So JR’s mother (Lily Rabe, top notch) brings him back to her father’s working class ramshackle house with all the other members of her family who are nonstarters. That includes Affleck as Rabe’s brother. He failed to launch as an adult years ago and now runs the Dickens bar around the corner.

Like “Hillbilly Elegy,” this is the story of a bright kid with an absent father, raised by women and an uncle, who studies hard so he can go to an Ivy League school and make something of himself. Richard Jenkins is the grandfather who’s a “character.” The whole idea is to get out of Long Island and see the world. (In real life, Moerhinger didn’t even stay in Brooklyn that long. His bio says he graduated from high school in Scottsdale, Arizona.)

The film has great soundtrack of 70s songs, and there are just a couple of Jackson Browne numbers but no one mentions him. I don’t know why he played at that Hollywood party. Daniel Rainieri is a charming kid playing young JR, and Tye Sheridan does what he can to make a slightly older JR interesting. But the best bits are in Brooklyn, not at Yale, where JR falls for a Black girl from a wealthy family who strings him along for what seems like years.

Affleck is who people will follow here, and he reminds us that he’s not just Batman and JLo and tabloids. If only his character had its own story arc, Ben could have made the Oscar short list for Best Supporting Actor. But I don’t see it. He doesn’t do much except dispense beer and advice. He does it well but it’s not enough.

Sad News: Fashion Designer Virgil Abloh of Louis Vuitton, 41, Favorite of Kanye West, Dies After 2 Year Battle with Rare Cancer

Roger Friedman
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Sad News: Fashion Designer Virgil Abloh of Louis Vuitton, 41, Favorite of Kanye West, Dies After 2 Year Battle with Rare Cancer

Virgil Abloh, top fashion designer for Louis Vuitton and for his own label, Off White, has died from cancer much too young at age 41. Abloh was a frequent collaborator and close associate of Kanye West among others. According to reports he’d been battling cancer “for years.” Just awful. Condolences to his family, friends, and fans.

Here’s an interview with him from 2017 in the NY Times.

His family has posted to Instagram:

We are devastated to announce the passing of our beloved Virgil Abloh, a fiercely devoted father, husband, son, brother, and friend. He is survived by his loving wife Shannon Abloh, his children Lowe Abloh and Grey Abloh, his sister Edwina Abloh, his parents Nee and Eunice Abloh, and numerous dear friends and colleagues.

For over two years, Virgil valiantly battled a rare, aggressive form of cancer, cardiac angiosarcoma. He chose to endure his battle privately since his diagnosis in 2019, undergoing numerous challenging treatments, all while helming several significant institutions that span fashion, art, and culture.

Through it all, his work ethic, infinite curiosity, and optimism never wavered. Virgil was driven by his dedication to his craft and to his mission to open doors for others and create pathways for greater equality in art and design. He often said, “Everything I do is for the 17-year-old version of myself,” believing deeply in the power of art to inspire future generations.

We thank you all for your love and support, and we ask for privacy as we grieve and celebrate Virgil’s life.

Princess Diana Not Proving to Be A Box Office Draw as “Spencer” Movie Makes Just $610 Per Theater in 3rd Week

Roger Friedman
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Princess Diana Not Proving to Be A Box Office Draw as “Spencer” Movie Makes Just $610 Per Theater in 3rd Week

Maybe Princess Diana is trying to tell us something from the great beyond.

After more hype than a Muhammad Ali boxing match, “Spencer,” the movie about Diana’s time married to Prince Charles, is not a success.

Over its fourth weekend in release, “Spencer” made just $610 per theater in 346 locations. The weekend take was just $211,028.

The theatrical run for “Spencer” is coming to a close now. Originally it played in 996 theaters, went up briefly to 1,200, retreated to 954, and was cut by two thirds this weekend. Its total is now $6.6 million.

Kristen Stewart’s performance as Diana was touted for weeks leading up people actually seeing the film as the one to beat for the Oscars. But with this disappointing reaction by audiences, those odds have probably shifted downwards quite a bit. Coming up fast now is Nicole Kidman as Lucille Ball in “Being the Ricardos,” followed possibly by Frances McDormand in “The Tragedy of Macbeth.” Somewhere on the periphery are Jennifer Hudson in “Respect” and Lady Gaga in “House of Gucci.”

The lack of audience for “Spencer” is not a surprise. Even the Broadway musical about the princess, “Diana: The Musical,” is struggling to stay open in light of terrifyingly negative reviews.  In the case of the Pablo Lorrain-directed film, we could tell from film festival audiences that the eccentric storytelling defeated the central performance. People walked out in droves, or simply said they didn’t like it. Vomiting is never a high point in any film, especially when it involves hanging around a toilet.

Five years ago, director Lorrain made a similar movie about Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, called “Jackie” starring Natalie Portman. There was the same hype for Portman and the film. But in the end, “Jackie” made just $13 million. As a tale of the tape, in its fourth week, “Jackie” was well ahead of “Spencer.” The famous First Lady wins in celebrity movies in this category, if that’s some consolation to her.

 

 

No More Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee? Jerry Seinfeld Tells Podcast “We’ve Put That Volume on the Shelf”

Roger Friedman
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No More Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee? Jerry Seinfeld Tells Podcast “We’ve Put That Volume on the Shelf”

It does seem as though Jerry Seinfeld’s “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” has been in the garage for good. After 11 seasons and 84 episodes, Seinfeld says on the “Smartless” podcast that he’s done.

Seinfeld tells hosts Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes when they ask about the show:
“I think I’m going to put that volume on the shelf. It was a lot of fun and I got to meet … a lot of those people who I had not met. We’re friends now. It’s amazing what two hours with somebody — you’re friends forever after that. It was really great.”

Originally “Comedians” ran on the Crackle network but eventually it moved to Netflix. There have been no new installments since 2019. The series won 5 Producers Guild of America awards and was nominated for 5 Emmy Awards. My personal favorites were with Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks, and with Jerry Lewis. I also really liked the episode with Sarah Jessica Parker. It was a clever, inventive, funny series that will no doubt run in syndication for eons.

The revelation comes toward the end of the podcast at 53:43. It’s a terrific podcast. Thanks to Yahoo News for tipping us off about it.

Box Office: “Dune” Finally Crosses $100 Million Line, But Will Smith’s “King Richard” a Royal Bust

Roger Friedman
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Box Office: “Dune” Finally Crosses $100 Million Line, But Will Smith’s “King Richard” a Royal Bust

More good news, bad news, this time for Warner Bros.

“Dune,” which I think is a Best Picture nominee with many more nods as well, has finally reached Nirvana.

Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi opera hit $100 million overnight and is at $100,877,000. Everyone can relax now. Total time was 36 days. And it was a nail biter. But “Dune” has persevered especially since it was shown on HBO Max for much of that time. Bravo to all involved.

For Warner Bros., “Dune” is a great success and a nice pay off for work well done. But they’re having trouble on another front. Will Smith’s “King Richard” has refused to take flight. It can’t get the ball over the net. It’s quite a racquet. (Okay, that’s enough!)

“King Richard” is having trouble securing an audience. Not even the Black audience seems that interested in going to theaters to see it despite its strong message of family and dedication to sport.

I’m not sure if it’s because Richard Williams, whom Smith is getting raves for playing, is a little off putting. Or if Smith’s constant personal confession in the press– he has a book out– has turned people off. I know that personally I never want to hear another word about Smith or his wife’s sex lives. But clamming up at this point might serve Smith well.

More tomorrow…

Box Office: Gaga’s “Gucci” Heads to $23 Mil Opening, “Licorice Pizza” Has Tasty Premiere, “Belfast” Is a Gem

Roger Friedman
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Box Office: Gaga’s “Gucci” Heads to $23 Mil Opening, “Licorice Pizza” Has Tasty Premiere, “Belfast” Is a Gem

Friday box office was good for everyone, even Lady Gaga.

“House of Gucci” took in $5.7 million yesterday, whipping its total up to $13.3 million since Tuesday. What day is it today? Who knows? But if “Gucci” picks up another $10 million today and tomorrow, they’ll come in with maybe $23 million for the week. It’s not huge, but it’s no disaster despite the reviews.

Speaking of “Gucci” reviews, designer and filmmaker Tom Ford writes about the movie in Graydon Carter’s Air Mail thing today. The best part of the review is Ford’s complete omission of any mention of the fact that he’s depicted in the movie or the actor, Reeve Carney, who plays him. He must not have liked Carney’s work. I did and that’s too bad.

“Gucci” comes from MGM, which still can’t get itself bought by Amazon Studios despite a much heralded announcement last May. The reason? The Federal Trade Commission has put a spanner in the works. So MGM lumbers forward. But, good news at least for now with another release, Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Licorice Pizza.” It opened in four theaters yesterday and sliced up $141,000. What will happen when it hits the real world is unknown, but for this minute in time, all is okey doke.

And the number 1 Oscar-buzzed movie, “Belfast”? Holding its own nicely as it waits for some awards accolades to come in. If you can see “Belfast” this weekend, do so, please, without hesitation. It’s going to be in for Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, Cinematography, not to mention Supporting Actors Jamie Dornan and Catriona Balfe, maybe Judi Dench, and even little Jude Hill. A brilliant little gem of a film.

 

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