Golden Globes, No Other Choice, and The Bone Temple
Check out awards winners & losers, Park Chan-Wook's new twisted entry, and one of Ralph Fiennes finest performances.
Awards season is in full swing, and one of the more fun nights in Hollywood is the Golden Globes, which aired on January 11th on CBS/Paramount+. A more loose and boozy night compared to the Oscars, it features celebrity schmoozing to go along with some roast-style jokes from comedian host Nikki Glazer. Glazer returned after last year’s successful stint, and she kept the night playful without going full Ricky Gervais attack mode on the industry’s biggest stars.
The speeches and presentations shied away from the political landscape for the most part, but I had to laugh at Glazer calling out the newly revamped CBS News division. “And the award for most editing goes to CBS News. Yes, CBS News, America’s newest place to see BS news. We needed another.” The crowd didn’t even try to contain their laughs, while CBS execs after the fact were “not pleased” to be the punching bag on their own broadcast. So what do we take away from a pretty tame night overall in the broader scheme of awards season?
Winners of the night
One Battle After Another kept the train rolling by winning Best Comedy/Musical, Best Director, Supporting Actress in a Comedy/Drama, and Screenplay. I don’t want to say that their wins are a tale of things to come, but this movie, to me, was clearly the best film of the year. Paul Thomas Anderson’s time is now, and his peers have been waiting for the right time to give him his flowers. Big win for Teyana Taylor in Supporting Actress, as it seemed she was being put on the back burner for Amy Madigan from Weapons. She gave a powerful and inspiring speech to young Black women to try and achieve their dreams. The biggest surprise was neither Benicio Del Toro nor Sean Penn winning in Supporting Actor, which brings me to the next big winner of the night.
Stellan Skarsgård took home Best Supporting Actor from a completely STACKED field for his work in the Norwegian drama Sentimental Value. In my review of the film, I had the feeling that this could be the magnum opus for a career actor of Skarsgård’s ability. He used his best qualities of sincerity and brashness from dozens of characters from his long filmography to put in one of his best performances. His speech was off the cuff and the only voice addressing the elephant in the room: the importance of watching films in theaters. He is my dark horse pick for the Oscar this year.
Hamnet seemed to be flying under the radar both commercially and with critics, who seemed to love the acting but found the plotline divisive. The night seemed like a vehicle for actor Jessie Buckley to collect another trophy in her ever-growing collection for a spectacular performance, but the Globes had other ideas. Producer Steven Spielberg hit the podium and praised Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao for her vision, saying that she was the only one who could have pulled off the vision of the award-winning novel. Does this give more juice to go toe-to-toe with One Battle After Another? We’ll see soon, but the results seemed to give a major setback in the awards column to our next entry.
Losers of the night
Sinners, a film I absolutely loved, was shut out of all the major categories, winning only Best Score (Ludwig Göransson) and the recently created category of Best Box Office Achievement. It was nice to see them take the stage and have a chance to speak about the most successful original non-IP film of the year. You have to wonder if this film will go the same way as Barbie last season, which was loved but seen as second fiddle to other non-horror films.
The Globes narrators (Kevin Frazier and Marc Malkin) were present on site, providing facts and terrible comic relief that didn’t seem fully planned out as the winners made their ascent to the podium. The Globes are now owned by billionaires Jay Penske and Todd Boehly, who each own media companies like Variety, Rolling Stone, Deadline, and The Hollywood Reporter, among other various media brands. This was a shameless infusion of their talent into the night and would be best left on the cutting room floor for next year.
Jessie Buckley, who won Best Actress in a Drama for her excellent performance as Agnes Shakespeare in Hamnet, now has competition from Rose Byrne. The Globes splitting performances by drama and comedy/musical has paved an Oscar route for Byrne’s win as an intense portrayal of a mother suffering a mental break in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. With a single acting category, Buckley may have been able to put any competition to bed, but the Byrne hive is growing louder with each win. Who knew you could lose ground by winning?
One thing that is clear: many viewers and awards pundits greatly miss the extremely ethically flawed Hollywood Foreign Press, who often selected insane winners. This led to eyebrow raises and cannon fodder for many awards seasons, which I found to be quite hilarious. Think Patch Adams winning Best Musical/Comedy in 1999 or Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s win in 2017 for Nocturnal Animals over Mahershala Ali’s Oscar-winning performance in Moonlight. The Globes at this point seem to be another reflection of the greater critical community, making things quite dull, frankly.
This is not helped by the Academy Awards being set on MARCH 15th! Why do we need this process to be so drawn out? February would be a logical and fitting time to keep the momentum going for Hollywood’s big night. To all the Oscar followers out there, the nominees will be presented on January 22nd. May the odds be ever in your favor. Now let’s switch gears to talk about two new wide-release films, No Other Choice (playing at the Independent Picture House) and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.
No Other Choice
Park Chan-wook is the type of director who pulls the rug out from under you. The former film critic turned director has made some wild films with incredible plot twists over the past quarter century. He thrives on dark humor, social commentary, violence, and a heavy pinch of kink that often leaves you shaking your head wondering what just happened. His third film, the mystery thriller Joint Security Area, was the highest-grossing film of all time for South Korea when released in 2000.
His “Vengeance Trilogy” was highlighted by an all-time classic, Oldboy, in 2003 that still makes me shudder when I think of the big reveal (or the many uses for a hammer). The Handmaiden in 2016 kept me on my toes as each chapter revealed deeper secrets while allowing Chan-wook’s freak flag to fly in a Korean countryside estate during the rule of the Japanese Empire. My personal favorite was his 2019 neo-noir romantic thriller Decision to Leave, where we follow a detective as he investigates a mystery woman whose lovers keep coming up dead. In terms of his style, you cannot beat some of the inventive ways he frames shots, which always seem to meet the moment with story arcs for his characters.
His greatest strength is subverting your expectations—to be a step or two ahead and lay things out in the conclusion like you’re reading an Agatha Christie novel. In today’s film, it can also work against him. You are anticipating the full-measure Chan-wook experience that leaves your jaw on the floor as you piece together everything that happened in the previous two hours. Lovers of his filmography will need to watch No Other Choice a second time so they can take the story in for what it is, not what they want it to be. If you have never watched a Park Chan-wook film, I would say this is the perfect amuse-bouche to prepare your palate.
Spill the tea: We follow Man-su, an award-winning manager at a paper company who is living the middle-class dream. A beautiful home that has plenty of character, pretty landscaping, and a homemade greenhouse. A gorgeous stay-at-home wife who takes care of their neurodivergent savant cellist daughter. Man-su even has two well-trained golden retrievers that exude love from every tail wag. After twenty-five years in the business, he finds his company is being bought out by Americans, and the dreaded word “consolidation” takes away his livelihood with the click of a mouse.
Being a lifelong paper man with niche skills, he’s only found work at menial, lower-paying jobs as the family finances deplete. His wife has gone back to being a dental hygienist, and they’ve cut back on the little luxuries that fulfilled their perfect lives. With news of each foreign company gobbling up what’s left of the paper industry, the constant corporate restructuring leaves even fewer job openings, and there are plenty of highly competent men like Man-su vying for precious opportunities. After botched interviews and dwindling prospects, Man-su starts thinking cryptically outside the box. What if his greatest play back to his former life involved taking out better candidates before the next hiring? In his eyes, Man-su has no other choice.
Time is money, why should I go?: This is a great examination of the ideas of consumerism, the effects of a global capitalist economy, and the shrinking of the middle class. To see the lengths that Man-su will go to in order to regain his former life is darkly humorous while also being incredibly sad. It’s a fantastic examination by Chan-wook into the current psyche that many people, not just in South Korea but around the world are experiencing. When the bottom line of spreadsheets are the only concern, the devaluation as well as dehumanization of the populace is bound to color outside the lines in return. The way Chan-wook balances these issues with a thick layer of comedic elements makes for a really enjoyable viewing experience. The production sets, landscapes, and stylistic shots are top-notch.
Star of the show: Lee Byung-hun has been a mainstay in South Korean television and films for over thirty years. He is handsome, charming, and seemingly ageless. American TV viewers will notice him as Front Man from Netflix’s Squid Game or in bit parts in Hollywood movies like The Magnificent Seven remake. My first interaction with him was from the most gnarly revenge flick I’ve ever seen, 2010’s I Saw the Devil, where he is an ice-cold secret agent hellbent on torturing a serial killer.
He plays maniacal extremely well but also can switch gears to turn on the charm. With No Other Choice, we see a devoted family man who truly loves his family. In a bid not to return to a darker past of alcoholism and despair, he’s changed his lifestyle. However, with his back against the wall, we see an ordinary man tasked with doing extraordinary things. Byung-hun does a masterful job taking on these challenges with humorous outcomes and a certain magnetism that keeps you wondering when things will fall apart. He was nominated for a Golden Globe for this role.
Don’t Sleep on: Son Ye-jin plays Man-su’s wife, Miri. Caring and pragmatic, she is the true head of the household who takes control when things start to go downhill. Man-su keeps her at arm’s length with his plans, and she never wavers in her devotion to the family even as he becomes more erratic in behavior throughout the film. The two characters balance each other incredibly well and create an inner conflict within their marriage in the greater scheme of the story arc.
Breakdown: Pieces together the overall “vibe” this movie brings from other releases.
Could have used a little more: Dare I say blood, sex, and gore? Park Chan-wook has conditioned us to always expect the worst, and this may be his most tame thriller in years in terms of graphic visuals. He shows us the dark side of the script without actually showing us. For some, this may be a relief, but the true Chan-wook sickos may walk away wanting more.
Best ten minute stretch: Man-su, who is well into his master plan, must make one last stop to a paper manager whose job he covets. He weasels his way into the man’s home by showering him with compliments and hard liquor. As he carefully sets up his final preparations throughout the night, we see how far he’s come in his journey from loving family man to stone-cold killer.
Matt at the Movies Score: 7.5/10 (An excellent introduction for those viewing their first Chan-wook film)
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
Ralph Fiennes has no business being in this rebooted, twenty-five-year-old zombie horror series. He is a thespian of the highest order with countless credits in award-winning movies. This is what makes him a national treasure and why his performance as Dr. Kelson alone should bring you to the theater. Looking back at his long and illustrious career, I began pondering my top five Fiennes performances. Sorry, fans of The English Patient—Almásy won’t be making the final cut.
The Fiennes Five
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple: In today’s film, Fiennes plays Dr. Ian Kelson, picking up from the timeline where 28 Years Later left off. Truly one of the only non-infected left on the isle of Great Britain, he celebrates humanity, science, and the idea of hope for mankind. Kelson is viewed from afar as a psychopath, with the idolatry of his bone temple conjuring the essence of Satan himself. In reality, his character is nuanced, caring, and a steward to the memory of the dead. His soft touch on this inhumane landscape brings a depth of character I’ve never seen in another zombie film.
The Constant Gardener: Justin Quayle is a mild-mannered British diplomat in Kenya whose activist wife (Rachel Weisz) is murdered. Something is foul in her death, and Quayle is determined to make inquiries across the globe to find answers. Fiennes does an amazing job showcasing that love can rise above geopolitics and stuffy aristocracy boardrooms as his character dives deeper into the rabbit hole of injustice.
A Bigger Splash: Rockstar Tilda Swinton and her filmmaker boyfriend are on vacation in a sleepy Italian island when an old friend from the music industry bursts onto the scene in a surprise visit. Fiennes plays Harry Hawkes, an old flame and collaborator of Swinton whose visceral appetite for life takes over the film. Fiennes is turned up to eleven for the majority of his screen time, with his sex, drugs, and rock & roll schtick creating chaos in the small getaway villa. Director Luca Guadagnino taps into the wild side of Fiennes in a spectacular performance, showing the actor’s range.
The Grand Budapest Hotel: M. Gustave is the single best character in the world of Wes Anderson films. It feels like the creative apex and everything Anderson cherishes. Sharply dressed in period-appropriate outfits… check. An overly confident, quirky European whose bravado is as big as his charismatic wit… check. Working an incredibly niche job with its own set of rules that, when broken, sends the character off on an unexpected journey… check. Fiennes brings class and a perfect tone to elevate a character that wouldn’t work with any other living actor.
Schindler’s List: We already know it’s a crime that Tommy Lee Jones won Best Supporting Actor for The Fugitive over Fiennes in a role that was extremely fun but lacked true character depth. Amon Goeth was a monster. We see that monster play out in a myriad of extremely disturbing ways over Steven Spielberg’s three-hour-and-fifteen-minute runtime. Fiennes’ ability to be a Nazi Party member schmoozing over champagne in one scene, then executing Jews with a rifle while having his morning cigarette the next, is bone-chilling. This was an early career-defining role that established him as a true force on the big screen.
Spill the tea: We pick up where the previous installment, 28 Years Later, left off. The young and still quite green traveler Spike has been absorbed into Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal’s “Fingers Gang,” who terrorize the countryside in the name of the dark lord Satan. Director Nia DaCosta recently chose the film Come and See in her Criterion Collection “closet picks,” and you see the influence of a “war is hell” mantra that pulls no punches.
The “Jimmies” (each cult member is named a variation of Jimmy) take no prisoners from the living and relish the act of inflicting as much pain as possible on their victims to appease their leader. It’s a true horror in its most literal sense that veers away from the last film’s theme of love and remembrance.
The secondary plot becomes the main theme as we see the return of Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) as he dives deeper into the exploration of the “rage” virus through one of the alpha infected he’s named Sampson. As the Jimmies continue their murder spree throughout the countryside, Kelson uses various modes of incapacitation to lure out the humanity of the behemoth zombie. When the Jimmies discover Kelson’s bone temple ossuary, the clock to discover a cure for the rage virus hits a critical point.
Time is money, why should I go? Don’t expect a fun romp through the wasteland with Spike and his adventurers’ club of Jimmies as they slash through the infected population. This film is about the two sides of humanity that clash after decades of despair in a dystopian world. Sir Jimmy (Jack O’Connell) is a faith-based charlatan who rules with fear over his Seven Fingers, using violence as his ultimate weapon. Dr. Kelson is a man of science who sees the world as it is. To see these diametric worldviews come clashing together showcases the essence of the story.
Star of the show: Already stated above, but Ralph Fiennes as Dr. Kelson is the reason to see this film. As we get to know his character more and the one-sided conversations he has with Sampson, we see a loving man who is trying to bring as much grace as he can to this unforgiving world. Kelson sees the humanity in each person, infected or not, and like a true academic he’s always searching for the next discovery. Through each Duran Duran song played on his record player, we embrace his longing to reconnect with a world that’s long gone.
Don’t Sleep on: Jack O’Connell has had quite the villainous twelve months. His Irish vampire portrayal in Sinners showcased his excellent range as a true entertainer. He brings that same aura to this role as Sir Jimmy, a sadistic cult leader whose viewpoint of society ended with reruns of Teletubbies when he was eight years old. The trauma of his priest father’s death has left him in arrested development, which he manipulated into his Seven Fingers. Only after chatting candidly with Dr. Kelson do we see the young boy who was turned evil decades ago.
Could have used a little more: For a zombie movie, we are treated to little fanfare in terms of the fast-running infected that dominated every film prior. With the third and final film greenlit, I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot more of Spike and the walking dead to close out the series.
Best ten minute stretch: Sir Jimmy asks Dr. Kelson to become the embodiment of the dark lord himself to appease the curious minds of the Seven Fingers. He wants Kelson to really ham it up and make a scene out of it. Dr. Kelson obliges and creates one of the most insane heavy-metal montages ever brought to life on the big screen.
Matt at the Movies Score: 8.5/10 (come for the zombies… stay for Fiennes)
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