Backstage Magazine, Digital Edition: December 20, 2021 SAG Awards Film Issue by Backstage

12.20.21

BACKSTAGE.COM

“A ‘WEST SIDE STORY’ FOR NEW GENERATIONS.” “EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCES

by magnificent performers.” FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE ANSEL ELGORT

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE RACHEL ZEGLER

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE DAVI D ALVAR E Z | M I KE FAIST

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE AR IANA D E BOSE | R ITA M OR E NO

12.20.21

BACKSTAGE.COM

The 28th Annual

SAG Awards Outstanding ensembles in film

BEST ACTRESS

INCLUDING

OUTSTANDING LEAD PERFORMANCE

WINNER

CRITICS CHOICE AWA RD NOMIN ATIONS

GOTHAM AWARDS WINNER

OLIVIA COLMAN

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPL AY

MAGGIE GYLLENHA AL

BEST ENSEMBLE

MILL VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL

for your SAG Awards® consideration OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE

“THE BEST PICTURE OF THE YEAR. OLIVIA COLMAN PLAYS ONE OF THE RICHEST CHARACTERS THAT HAS EVER GRACED OUR SCREENS.”

“OLIVIA COLM

AN’S BEST PE

RFORMANCE

EVER.”

winner

VENICE FILM FESTIVAL

MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL

best screenplay

winner

NEW YORK FILM CRITICS CIRCLE AWARDS

2021

best first film

“TRIUMPHANT.

AN ENSEMBLE WHERE EVERY ROLE MATTERS.”

NCES from Oliv

G PERFORMA “OUTSTANDIN

son.”

d Dakota John

ie Buckley an Colman, Jess

A FILM BY

FILM.NETFLIXAWARDS.COM

M AG G I E GY L L E N H A A L

vol. 62, no. 35 | 12.20.21

TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET AND LYNA KHOUDRI IN “THE FRENCH DISPATCH”

Contents “THE FRENCH DISPATCH”: COURTESY SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES; “KING RICHARD”: CHIABELLA JAMES; “WEST SIDE STORY”: NIKO TAVERNISE

Awards Contenders: Film Ensembles 6 “Being the Ricardos” 8 “ Belfast” 10 “CODA” 12 “ Don’t Look Up” 14 “Dune” DEMI SINGLETON, SANIYYA SIDNEY, AND WILL SMITH IN “KING RICHARD”

16 “The French Dispatch” 18 “The Harder They Fall” 26 “ House of Gucci” 28 “The Humans” 30 “ In the Heights” 32 “King Richard” 34 “The Lost Daughter” 36 “Mass” 38 “The Power of the Dog” 40 “Spencer” 42 “The Tragedy of Macbeth” 44 “West Side Story”

RACHEL ZEGLER IN “WEST SIDE STORY”

backstage.com

On the cover: New Africa/shutterstock.com; stock_wichel/shutterstock.com. Cover designed by Ian Robinson.

12.20.21 BACKSTAGE

Backstage was founded in 1960 by Ira Eaker and Allen Zwerdling

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Joshua Ellstein

PRESIDENT

CHIEF TECHNOLOGY & PRODUCT OFFICER

Michael Felman CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

James G. Reynolds

CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER

VICE PRESIDENT, CASTING

David Grossman

Luke Crowe CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER

Stephanie Snipes

Michael Madia

Editorial

Art

Casting

Product

Advertising Sales

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

DESIGN DIRECTOR

MANAGING CASTING EDITOR

DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MEDIA

MANAGING EDITOR

ART DIRECTOR

ACCOUNT MANAGER S

LEAD PRODUCT DESIGNER

Briana Rodriguez Benjamin Lindsay EDITORIAL OPERATIONS LEAD

Ian Robinson

Margaret Ruling

Christiane Wartell

Production

AWARDS EDITOR

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Jack Smart U.K. EDITOR

Mark Stinson

Social Media

EDITOR

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Casey Mink

COPY EDITOR S

Regan Hofmann Jenna Scherer EDITORIAL OPERATIONS COORDINATOR

Jalen Michael

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Marci Liroff Diep Tran Allie Volpe

Advisers SENIOR ADVISER

Peter Rappaport

Elijah Cornell Jill Heller

Katie Minard

SOCIAL MEDIA ASSOCIATE

Karen Jenkins

Customer Service CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER

Richard Burridge

CUSTOMER SERVICE ASSOCIATE

Shishir Bankapur Jeff Lilley

Mitch Matuson

CASTING EDITORS

Mike Lewis

Elaina Crockett Riley Fee Lisa Hamil Effie Reich

GLOBAL IT LEAD

Paul Dorfman

LEAD BACK-END ENGINEER

Iuliia Buiel

RESEARCH EDITOR

Rebecca Welch

FRONT-END ENGINEER

Neely Kartha

ASSISTANT CONTROLLER

VICE PRESIDENT, HUMAN RESOURCES

PRODUCT MANAGER

STAFF ACCOUNTANT

DIRECTOR OF RECRUITING

Stephanie Trindade Emily Callaway

Ryan Remstad

TECHNICAL LEAD, PAYMENTS

Joe Zeleny

Byron Karlevics

GROWTH MARKETING DIRECTOR

Cassie Haffner

TECHNICAL LEAD, PERFORMERS

REGIONAL CASTING EDITOR

Marketing

QA MANAGER

BACK-END ENGINEER

Kailyn Ciancarelli

Samantha Sherlock

ENGINEERING MANAGER, FRONT END

Office Operations

Jared Shaefitz

MEDIA OPERATIONS

Tom Achtemichuk

Victoria Beal Gabrielle Hamann Neill Kennedy Christina Kleppinger Sonja Smith Hannah Williams Jenn Zilioli

Stephanie Chung

Finance

Kasey Howe

ENGINEER LEAD

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Theo Bosanquet Jacqueline Tynes

Melinda Loewenstein

Derek Yang

PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

Ryann Thompson

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Caitlin Watkins

USER ACQUISITION MANAGER

Nikita Rubetskoy

COMMUNITY MANAGER

Liz Farris

CONVERSION RATE OPTIMIZATION MANAGER

Dan Spero

GROWTH LEAD

Changhee Han JUNIOR MARKETING DESIGNER

Alyssa Gera

Erica Whyte

PRODUCT DESIGNER

EMAIL MARKETING ASSOCIATE

Jan Cantor

SENIOR BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE ANALYST

Jackie Cardelli

Madison Lukaczyk

EDITORIAL OFFICES

editorial@backstage.com

CASTING DEPARTMENT

CUSTOMER SERVICE

casting@backstage.com

917-725-6367 customers@backstage.com

DISPLAY ADVERTISING

advertising@backstage

PERMISSION

For one-time use of our content, as a full article, excerpt, or production prop, contact editorial@backstage.com

BACKSTAGE, vol. 62, no. 35 (ISSN#53635 USPS#39740) IS A WEEKLY PUBLICATION, WITH OCCASIONAL DOUBLE ISSUES IN MARCH, MAY, SEPTEMBER, FEBRUARY, JUNE, AUGUST AND DECEMBER AND ONE ISSUE PUBLISHED IN APRIL AND JULY (except the fourth week of December) by Backstage LLC, 45 Main St., Brooklyn, NY 11201, $3.99 per copy, $99 per year. Periodicals postage paid at Brooklyn, NY 11256 and additional mailing offices. Printed in USA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Backstage, 45 Main St., Ste. 416, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Publication Mail Agreement No. 40031729. ©2017 Backstage LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Backstage LLC: Joshua Ellstein, Chief Executive Officer.

BACKSTAGE 12.20.21

backstage.com

Letter From the Editor

CAITLIN WATKINS

Dear film lovers, By this point, you’ve heard us wax poetic about the individual performances we loved this year; but movies don’t exist because of one great actor. A film’s true strength lies in its ability to build a believable cast of characters who transport us elsewhere. In this issue, we take a look at the 2021 ensembles that did just that and then some, all of which are worthy of consideration for SAG’s top prize: outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture. Some of these ensembles are fantasy-level groupings of A-listers that likely have many excited to see them all together on the screen (looking at you, “Don’t Look Up” and “Nightmare Alley”); others are collections of well-known performers alongside actors who will undoubtedly end the film with more name recognition than they started with (think Kirsten Dunst and Kodi Smit-McPhee in

BACKSTAGE - MASS HALF PAGE TRIM: 8.5"W x 5"H

MATERIALS DUE: FRIDAY, 12/13 ISSUE DATE: MONDAY, 12/20

“The Power of the Dog,” and Will Smith and Saniyya Sidney in “King Richard”). Then there are those populating familiar worlds—like the cast of “Being the Ricardos” and “House of Gucci”—and putting their own spin on them. We look to elements like these to help us measure films against each other—a daunting task, but, wow, did we try. Read on for our takes on what made these ensembles extra special. See you on the other side of the nominations!

Briana Rodriguez Editor-in-Chief

BSM1022

FINAL

● Film

Ensembles

NICOLE KIDMAN AND JAVIER BARDEM

AT THE HEIGHT OF LUCILLE BALL’S REcord-setting “I Love Lucy” success, Senator Joseph McCarthy’s communist witch hunt came knocking. As the story goes, the House Un-American Activities Committee discovered that she’d registered to vote as a Communist in 1936. The actor claimed she’d never identified with the party and that the move had only been a means of appealing to her aged grandfather. But as the Red Scare tore through Hollywood, such actions had the potential to ruin careers and reputations—even those as sterling as Ball’s. To make matters worse, her marriage to Desi Arnaz was on the rocks due to his alleged infidelity. What’s a media mogul to do when finding herself at such a tricky crossroads? In “Being the Ricardos,” Aaron Sorkin takes a stab at the answer. The trailblazing TV comedy duo’s relationship during a landmark week of both public and private accusations is fertile ground for the emotional storytelling the writer-director excels at. An Oscar-winning pair of movie stars,

Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem, rise to the occasion as Ball and Arnaz. To see Kidman recreate classic sitcom bits while done up in Ball’s iconic “I Love Lucy” makeup and costumes is to witness one of the most impressive biopic illusions since Renée Zellweger’s beloved turn as Judy Garland. Little is known about the true nature of Ball’s closed-door conversations with Arnaz and studio executives; but Kidman, aided by Sorkin’s bulletproof dialogue, brings life to a performer on the brink. Ball was a powerful woman decades ahead of her time, and you can see the care and responsibility Kidman brings to telling her story. Her performance is characteristically excellent. Bardem, meanwhile, is as charismatic and suave as you’d expect; he’s perhaps at his most charming since “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.” He taps into Arnaz’s trademark lightness and showmanship; it’s a playful contrast to the brooding roles he’s best known for. He does have the chance to bring that darkness to the

Arianda, Javier Bardem, Tony Hale, Nicole Kidman, Jake Lacy, Alia Shawkat, J.K. Simmons Sorkin WRITTEN BY: Aaron Sorkin DISTRIBUTED BY: Amazon Studios

table, though. Unafraid to ask sharp questions about its male hero, this script sees Bardem countering his Hollywood sheen with spikier motivations than one might expect. There’s real dramatic depth shown here in Arnaz’s commitment to protecting Ball—and his show. The ensemble is rounded out by some of today’s finest character actors, putting their spin on real-world figures. J.K. Simmons, no stranger to playing a gruff but well-intentioned supporting role, works wizened, drunken magic as William Frawley, the actor behind “I Love Lucy” supporting player Fred Mertz; Tony Award winner Nina Arianda appears opposite him as the scene-stealing Vivian Vance, who plays Lucy’s onscreen confidant, Ethel Mertz. Elsewhere around the writers’ room table sit Jake Lacy as Bob Carroll Jr., Alia Shawkat as Madelyn Pugh, and Tony Hale as Jess Oppenheimer. They all perfectly encapsulate colleagues who are equal parts seduced, intimidated, and frustrated by their ingenious leading lady. No one breaks out of Ball’s orbit. —BENJAMIN LINDSAY

CASTING BY: Kathy

Driscoll and Francine Maisler

DIRECTED BY: Aaron

BACKSTAGE 12.20.21

backstage.com

GLEN WILSON

MAIN CAST: Nina

FIRSTNAME/LASTNAME

“Being the Ricardos”

BEST PICTURE NOMINATIONS INCLUDING

BEST DIRECTOR – GUILLERMO DEL TORO

FOR YOUR SAG AWARDS® CONSIDERATION

BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

BRADLEY COOPER

BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

ROONEY MARA

WILLEM DAFOE RICHARD JENKINS RON PERLMAN DAVID STRATHAIRN

BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

CATE BLANCHETT TONI COLLETTE MARY STEENBURGEN

BRADLEY COOPER CATE BLANCHETT TONI COLLETTE WILLEM DAFOE RICHARD JENKINS ROONEY MARA RON PERLMAN MARY STEENBURGEN DAVID STRATHAIRN

www.searchlightpictures.com/fyc

● Film

Ensembles

“Belfast”

FIRSTNAME/LASTNAME

BACKSTAGE 12.20.21

backstage.com

ROB YOUNGSON/FOCUS FEATURES

FIRSTNAME/LASTNAME

CAITRÍONA BALFE, JAMIE DORNAN, JUDI DENCH, JUDE HILL, AND LEWIS MCASKIE

“BELFAST” IS BOTH A COMING-OF-AGE story and a slice of politically resonant history. The film is set in the titular Northern Irish town in the late 1960s, as seen through the eyes of young Buddy (played by a precocious Jude Hill). Writer-director Kenneth Branagh has called it his most personal film yet; it’s also one of the year’s best. Woven into the movie’s fabric is that most awe-inspiring of childlike wonders: the magic of the performing arts. Buddy and his family visit the cinema, turn on the telly, or watch “A Christmas Carol” onstage and are transfixed by what they see. As the blackand-white film’s only color moments, these flashes of entertainment evoke cherished childhood memories and remind us why we go to movies like this one. Connecting his specific story to the audience’s own desire for escapism allows Branagh to lean into cinematic flourishes even while creating a biographical piece. Likewise, his actors get the best of both worlds. They immerse themselves in precise period details and take a neardocumentarian approach to their characters’ real-world counterparts, but they also shine like the charismatic movie stars they are. As Buddy’s parents, Caitríona Balfe and Jamie Dornan are this story’s heroes—and they look the part. Rather than dimming her classic screen-siren looks or his square-jawed visage, Branagh lets their beauty dazzle us. Dornan has never been better, playing a tough-yet-adoring father; every scene opposite his onscreen sons, played by Hill and Lewis McAskie, is a study in fierce protectiveness. Given that the film is set amid the 1969 Troubles, a moment late in the story when Dornan grabs a mic and sings feels all the more uplifting and powerful. As ideological and then literal battle lines are drawn between Protestants

and Catholics, the film’s tight-knit family are our way into understanding this town as their home—and how its escalating violence is tarnishing such purity. Balfe’s ability to make heavy emotions feel genuine rather than melodramatic is put to note-perfect use. She avoids “worrying mother” cliches as the family matriarch, painting a three-dimensional portrait of a woman preoccupied with a question that resonates with immigrant families to this day: Stay or flee? Her answer, in the form of a tour de force monologue directed at Dornan, is what guides us through this story. Two of today’s most accomplished character actors, meanwhile, bring Buddy’s grandparents to life. Judi Dench proves again that she’s the quintessential supporting performer, delivering the film’s most poignant line. “You can’t get to Shangri-La from Belfast,” she mutters, partly to herself, partly to her grandson, and partly to us, her enraptured audience. As Buddy’s grandfather, Ciarán Hinds is all gruff warmth and cheekiness, a persona he inhabits brilliantly. What takes his delivery to the next level is the way he hangs on every word from Dench, broadcasting so clearly that she is the love of his life. It’s a lesson on how to act in the moment. Watching such an ensemble convey a communal upbringing and a sense of belonging to their city’s streets, you get the sense that these actors are bringing their personal histories to their performances. Branagh has enabled this with the film’s specific-yet-universal conceit: His actors can project their own experiences with their own families in their own homes onto the screen. The same goes for audiences, sitting in a dark movie theater, transported away from today’s troubles through the magic of storytelling. —JACK SMART

MAIN CAST: Caitríona

Balfe, Judi Dench, Jamie Dornan, Jude Hill, Ciarán Hinds, Lewis McAskie, Colin Morgan CASTING BY: Lucy Bevan and Emily Brockmann DIRECTED BY: Kenneth Branagh WRITTEN BY: Kenneth Branagh DISTRIBUTED BY: Focus Features

12.20.21 BACKSTAGE

● Film

Ensembles

“CODA” MAIN CAST: Kevin Chapman, Eugenio Derbez, Daniel Durant, Lonnie Farmer, John Fiore, Amy Forsyth, Emila Jones, Troy Kotsur, Marlee Matlin, Molly Beth Thomas, Ferdia Walsh-Peelo CASTING BY: Deborah Aquila, Lisa Lobel, Angela Peri, Tricia Wood, and Lisa Zagoria DIRECTED BY: Sian Heder WRITTEN BY: Sian Heder DISTRIBUTED BY: Apple TV+

ADAPTED FROM ÉRIC LARTIGAU’S FRENCH film “La Famille Bélier,” Apple TV+’s “CODA” captures audiences’ hearts from the start. While there have been many coming-of-age movies,

EMILIA JONES AND EUGENIO DERBEZ

this drama-comedy showcases a hero we rarely get to see on film: a teenager who’s the only hearing person in a deaf family. CODA stands for “Child of Deaf Adults,” which Emilia Jones—an English actor best known for her role on the Netflix series “Locke & Key”—captures perfectly as bold, quirky 17-year-old Ruby Rossi. Viewers follow the teen as she struggles with typical high school problems like fitting in, going to class, and dating, but also with acting as her family’s connection to the hearing world. Making their living fishing the Massachusetts coast, Ruby’s parents, Frank and Jackie, and her brother Leo rely on her to help them communicate with their buyers. Ruby, meanwhile, is torn between continuing to work with her family and pursuing her passion for music. Her choir teacher (Eugenio Derbez) thinks she has real potential and advocates for her admittance to Berklee College of Music—but her singing is a skill that her family can neither hear nor appreciate. Filmmaker Sian Heder brings this dynamic clan to life with her unique writing and directing style. The arguments between Ruby, Frank, Jackie, and Leo (the latter three played by deaf actors Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur,

and Daniel Durant) feel raw and real. Facial expressions, signs, and body language are used to highlight both the challenges and beauty of nonverbal communication. There are also quieter scenes alongside these tense moments, sometimes performed with no sound at all. When Ruby’s family attends her choir concert, we’re invited to experience the music from Frank’s perspective. The sound cuts out completely as he smiles supportively at his daughter onstage. The change in perspective gives viewers a glimpse into a world with no sound; it’s one of the movie’s most memorable scenes. Later, Ruby performs for him alone as he feels the vibrations of her vocal cords; Frank finally learns to hear his child sing in his own way, creating a father-daughter moment for the ages. Bring tissues. These tear-jerking scenes are what makes “CODA” an unforgettable film that’s absolutely worthy of SAG Award recognition. Heder depicts a working-class family’s trials while also shining a light on an experience not seen often enough in cinema. It’s a masterstroke. The film’s perfectly cast ensemble rises to the occasion by bringing layers of emotion to each glance and gesture. —JACQUELINE TYNES

COURTESY APPLE TV+

BACKSTAGE 12.20.21

backstage.com

FIRSTNAME/LASTNAME

EMILIA JONES, TROY KOTSUR, MARLEE MATLIN, AND DANIEL DURANT

HHHHH

“STAR-STUDDED CAST DELIVERS IN W ES ANDERSON’S ELEGANT MAGAZINE TRIBUTE.” M OIRA MACDONALD,

FOR YOUR SAG AW ARDS ® CONSIDERATION

OUTSTANDING PERFOR M ANCE BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE BENICIO DEL TORO ADRIEN BRODY TILDA SWINTON LÉA SEYDOUX FRANCES McDORMAND TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET LYNA KHOUDRI JEFFREY WRIGHT MATHIEU AMALRIC STEPHEN PARK BILL MURRAY OWEN WILSON

“‘ THE FRENCH DISPATCH ’ IS POSITIVELY EXUBERANT W ITH STARS OF THE SILVER SCREEN.” JESSICA KIANG,

OUTSTANDING PERFORM ANCE BY A FEM ALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE TILDA SWINTON LÉA SEYDOUX LYNA KHOUDRI OUTSTANDING PERFORM ANCE BY A M ALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE BENICIO DEL TORO ADRIEN BRODY TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET JEFFREY WRIGHT MATHIEU AMALRIC STEPHEN PARK BILL MURRAY OWEN WILSON

SEARCHLIGHTPICTURES.COM/FYC

● Film

Ensembles CATE BLANCHETT, TYLER PERRY, LEONARDO DICAPRIO, AND JENNIFER LAWRENCE

“Don’t Look Up”

audience surrogates, encountering horrific hypocrisy and selfishness at every step of their journey. Lawrence’s capacity for withering cynicism is a perfect fit for McKay’s sensibilities; she’s never had a role that showcases her comedic timing so brilliantly. The same is true for DiCaprio, who gets to take both his comedy and, in meta moments, his offscreen climate change activism deadly seriously. The astronomers’ first and biggest obstacle is Meryl Streep’s President Janie Orlean. Her impulse to “sit tight and assess” the comet’s potential effect on her approval ratings—and turn its denial into a political platform— shouldn’t feel as plausible as it does. Only in today’s America would such egocentricity become national policy, and Streep doesn’t shy away from embodying the most cynical parts of humanity. Jonah Hill brings the president’s son and chief of staff, Jason, to vivid life. While his lines are scripted and his reaction shots planned, Hill is the kind of performer who inhabits a character so fully that every moment feels improvised. Next, there’s Tyler Perry and Cate Blanchett as the co-hosts of a news talk show that spins the astronomers’ discovery into flippant fun.

It’s eerie how convincingly Perry and Blanchett parody the kind of media personalities who would prioritize the breakup of two pop stars (Ariana Grande and Kid Cudi, sending up their own personas) over something as unpalatable as the end of the world. Further accelerating this story’s insanity is the legendary Mark Rylance as billionaire entrepreneur Peter Isherwell. Articulating hilariously halting proclamations around a set of too-straight, too-white teeth, Rylance illustrates society’s weird, worshipful reliance on technology and the ultra-rich. In this movie, nothing and no one is safe from McKay’s skewering; he even takes Hollywood itself to task for its complacency with a meta-flourish of a cameo we won’t spoil here. Amid all the satirical mayhem, part of the fun of watching “Don’t Look Up” is the way the film combines prestige-level celebrities onscreen. DiCaprio faces off against Rylance! Streep and Blanchett appear in a scene together for the first time! Lawrence makes out with none other than Timothée Chalamet! For those who love watching great actors do what they do best, this is as close to a dream ensemble cast as you can get. —JACK SMART

MAIN CAST: Cate Blanchett, Timothée Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ariana Grande, Jonah Hill, Jennifer Lawrence, Kid Cudi, Rob Morgan, Tyler Perry, Ron Perlman, Mark Rylance, Meryl Streep CASTING BY: Francine Maisler DIRECTED BY: Adam McKay WRITTEN BY: Adam McKay and David Sirota DISTRIBUTED BY: Netflix

BACKSTAGE 12.20.21

backstage.com

NIKO TAVERNISE/NETFLIX

“DON’T LOOK UP” IS A VICIOUS SATIRE, IMAGining what the film calls “truly possible events” that are removed from our reality by only a few degrees of absurdity. The movie was conceived as a metaphor for manmade climate change denial—but that was before COVID-19, so it now doubles as a metaphor for pandemic denial. It’s a comedy that could only come from the mind of writer-director Adam McKay. The most prominent element of the film is the A-list cast. Jennifer Lawrence plays Kate Dibiasky, an astronomy Ph.D. candidate who discovers a sizable comet streaking across the sky. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Michigan State professor Dr. Randall Mindy, whose calculations of the comet’s trajectory are confirmed by Rob Morgan’s deadpan NASA scientist, Dr. Teddy Oglethorpe. Their sudden, frenzied mission? To warn humanity of an Earth-destroying impact that will take place in just over six months’ time. As McKay conjectures in all-too-credible detail, the problem isn’t how to inform our politically divided, tech-obsessed society of this fact; it’s convincing them it’s true. As ordinary characters with no media training who are thrust into the international spotlight, Lawrence and DiCaprio become

FIRSTNAME/LASTNAME

FOR YOUR SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS® CONSIDERATION

Outstanding Performance By

A Female Actor In A Leading Role

JESSICA CHASTAIN

Outstanding Performance By

A Male Actor In A Supporting Role

ANDREW GARFIELD • VINCENT D’ONOFRIO Outstanding Performance By

A Female Actor In A Supporting Role

CHERRY JONES

Outstanding Performance By

A Cast In A Motion Picture

JESSICA CHASTAIN • ANDREW GARFIELD CHERRY JONES • VINCENT D’ONOFRIO

SearchlightPictures.com/FYC

“THE ACTING IS GREAT: ANDREW GARFIELD IS FASCINATING AND CHARISMATIC AS JIM BAKKER. AND JESSICA CHASTAIN COMPLETELY DISAPPEARS INTO THE CHARACTER OF TAMMY FAYE BAKKER. IT IS A MASTERFUL TRANSFORMATION.” Lynn Hirschberg,

JESSICA CHASTAIN ANDREW GARFIELD

● Film

Ensembles

“Dune” so with as much grace as possible. But the stealth power player in the family is Jessica, a woman of formidable strength who must hide behind a veil of femininity. With all its contradictions, it’s a difficult part to handle; Ferguson is just the performer to play such an enigma, showing the rage, fear, and intelligence that lies just beneath the surface of Jessica’s studied public face. The members of the Atreides court provide a warm contrast to the composed family, particularly Jason Momoa and Josh Brolin as Duncan Idaho and Gurney Halleck, the leaders of Leto’s fighting forces; they’re hardened badasses, but the two actors also give them charm to spare. Chang Chen, meanwhile, strikes a quietly tragic figure as the Atreides’ personal doctor. Then there are the Fremen, who, though only appearing briefly in Part One (trust that they’ll be a much larger presence in the sequel), leave a lasting impression. Academy Award winner Javier Bardem is captivatingly weird in his handful of scenes as Fremen leader Stilgar, projecting a sense of authority that stands in stark contrast to the nobility’s style. As ecologist Dr. Kynes, Sharon Duncan-Brewster is as mysterious as she is magnetic. And though we only really meet her at the end of the film, we can’t wait to see more of Emmy winner Zendaya as young warrior Chani. Also milking their brief screen time are an almost unrecognizable Skarsgård as the odious, (literally) oily Harkonnen; and Oscar nominee Charlotte Rampling as the Reverend Mother of the Bene Gesserit, a woman who’s as intimidating as she is brittle. No spoilers, but not everyone makes it out of Part One of “Dune” alive; we’re very much looking forward to seeing the surviving ensemble ride the proverbial sandworm in the 2023 sequel. —JENNA SCHERER

BACKSTAGE 12.20.21

CHIABELLA JAMES

MAIN CAST: Javier Bardem, Dave Bautista, Josh Brolin, Timothée Chalamet, Chang Chen, David Dastmalchian, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Rebecca Ferguson, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa, Charlotte Rampling, Stellan Skarsgård, Zendaya CASTING BY: Jina Jay and Francine Maisler DIRECTED BY: Denis Villeneuve WRITTEN BY: Eric Roth, Jon Spaihts, and Denis Villeneuve (based on the novel by Frank Herbert) DISTRIBUTED BY: Warner Bros. Pictures

REBECCA FERGUSON, ZENDAYA, JAVIER BARDEM, AND TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET

backstage.com

FIRSTNAME/LASTNAME

IT’S NO EASY TASK TO POPULATE AN ADAPtation of Frank Herbert’s “Dune,” one of the most adored, influential sci-fi epics of the 20th century. That Denis Villeneuve’s new film version manages to capture the cerebral, dreamy world of the 1965 novel is partly due to the director’s visionary skill; but it’s also thanks to the talent of the sprawling ensemble, spread across three planets, from royal courts to desert wastelands. It’s tricky to be brief when describing the premise of Herbert’s tale, but here goes: In the far future, a vast empire controls the galaxy. The emperor sends one of his feudal lords, Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac), to rule Arrakis, a desert planet whose main export, the mysterious “spice,” is the most highly prized substance in the kingdom. Leto’s consort, Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), belongs to a powerful mystical sisterhood called the Bene Gesserit. Their son, Paul (Timothée Chalamet), has a magical destiny that’s drawing him toward the Fremen, the native tribes of Arrakis. Meanwhile, the planet’s former overseer, Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård), is plotting to win back his prize—and he doesn’t care how many lives he has to take along the way. Casting directors Jina Jay and Francine Maisler knew what they were doing when they picked the film’s chosen one. Oscar nominee Chalamet has always been skilled at conveying a mixture of gravitas and boyish petulance, and he strikes the perfect balance as Paul: Our hero has the makings of a charismatic, quasi-magical leader, but he’s also just a rich kid with a chip on his shoulder. There’s something uncanny and ethereal about Chalamet’s performance, which sells the premise of a teenager who’s destined for messiah status. Trust a star like Isaac to play Leto, a man carrying a heavy burden but trying to do

FIRSTNAME/LASTNAME

backstage.com

12.20.21 BACKSTAGE

● Film

Ensembles

“The French Dispatch” MAIN CAST: Mathieu Amalric, Bob Balaban, Adrien Brody, Timothée Chalamet, Willem Dafoe, Benicio Del Toro, Rupert Friend, Anjelica Huston, Lyna Khoudri, Frances McDormand, Elisabeth Moss, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Steve Park, Tony Revolori, Saoirse Ronan, Liev Schreiber, Jason Schwartzman, Léa Seydoux, Lois Smith, Tilda Swinton, Christoph Waltz, Owen Wilson, Henry Winkler, Jeffrey Wright CASTING BY: Olivia Brittain, Deborah Maxwell Dion, Matthew Glasner, and Jina Jay DIRECTED BY: Wes Anderson WRITTEN BY: Wes Anderson DISTRIBUTED BY: Searchlight Pictures

THE FACES IN WES ANDERSON’S MOVIES ARE usually recognizable. He relies on the familiarity of his merry band of highly accomplished actors to master the unique tone of his films. Case in point: his latest, “The French Dispatch,” an amalgam of short stories inspired by the writers and writing of the New Yorker. In true Anderson fashion, the details are intricate and truthful, but the story is stripped of any historical or political framework. It’s up to the actors to bring authenticity and fit into the narrative’s quirks, all while maintaining those distinct Anderson-isms. This ensemble works together harmoniously. The film’s first story, “The Concrete Masterpiece,” features deadpan performances from Benicio Del Toro and Léa Seydoux as an incarcerated painter and his prison guard– cum-muse. The two actors work in sync, both committed to stilted movements and internalized emotions, their faces blank canvases for the audience to project whatever they think the characters are feeling. Their poker-faced turns are supported by outwardly comic moments from Adrien Brody, Bob Balaban, and Henry Winkler as greedy art dealers trying to make a

profit. The great Lois Smith brings quiet eccentricity to a rich art collector. The whole tale is framed by a lecture given at a Kansas arts center by Tilda Swinton as critic J.K.L. Berensen, in another hilariously offbeat turn. While writers are merely the narrator of the first segment, they rule the other two vignettes. “Revisions to a Manifesto” is told through the eyes of essayist Lucinda Krementz (Frances McDormand) as she reports on a student revolt reminiscent of the May 1968 demonstrations in France. She becomes enmeshed in an affair with its utopian leader Zeffirelli (Timothée Chalamet), who also has eyes for his more pragmatic comrade-in-arms Juliette (Lyna Khoudri). McDormand is an expert at delivering Anderson’s trademark non sequiturs, and she uses her expressive face to cast many a withering glance. Both Chalamet and Khoudri are new to the filmmaker’s troupe, but they fit in perfectly as they bicker and argue their way toward romance. One performance that distinguishes itself among the ensemble: Jeffrey Wright as food writer Roebuck Wright in “The Private Dining Room of the Police Commissioner,” conveying a

mix of James Baldwin, Tennessee Williams, and A.J. Liebling. Whether using his lyrical voice to recite a story or showing warm emotion when his character faces injustice, Wright’s performance is an impassive yet stirring marvel. He’s complemented by Steve Park as a world-renowned chef and Mathieu Amalric as a police commissioner trying to solve the abduction of his son; Edward Norton and Saoirse Ronan are among the kidnappers. All give subdued, comical, sad performances that usher the film toward its melancholy, moving conclusion. There’s also an introductory story featuring Owen Wilson as “The Cycling Reporter.” All of the segments, narrated in Anjelica Huston’s unmistakable voice, are framed within the story of the writers and editors of the titular magazine coming together to write the obituary of their beloved editor, Arthur Howitzer Jr. (Bill Murray). Peppered throughout are familiar Anderson faces (Jason Schwartzman, Liev Schreiber, Tony Revolori, and Willem Dafoe), as well as newcomers (Elisabeth Moss, Rupert Friend, Christoph Waltz, and more). Taken all together, this is the definition of a tour de force ensemble performance. —MURTADA ELFADL

COURTESY SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES

BACKSTAGE 12.20.21

backstage.com

FIRSTNAME/LASTNAME

LYNA KHOUDRI, FRANCES MCDORMAND, AND TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET

“HEARTFELT, FASCINATING and altogether RIVETING” F O R Y O U R C O N S I D E R AT I O N I N A L L C AT EG O RI ES

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Outstanding Performance by a

Outstanding Performance by a

Nicole Kidman

Nina Arianda • Alia Shawkat

Female Actor in a Leading Role

Female Actor in a Supporting Role

Outstanding Performance by a

Javier Bardem

Tony Hale • J.K. Simmons

Male Actor in a Leading Role amazonstudiosguilds.com

Male Actor in a Supporting Role

NOW PLAYING In Select Theaters

● Film

Ensembles

“The Harder They Fall”

BACKSTAGE 12.20.21

backstage.com

COURTESY NETFLIX

MAIN CAST: Zazie Beetz, Deon Cole, RJ Cyler, Danielle Deadwyler, Idris Elba, Edi Gathegi, Regina King, Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, LaKeith Stanfield, Damon Wayans Jr. CASTING BY: Victoria Thomas DIRECTED BY: Jeymes Samuel WRITTEN BY: Jeymes Samuel and Boaz Yakin DISTRIBUTED BY: Netflix

COURTESY NETFLIX

J.T. HOLT, REGINA KING, ZAZIE BEETZ, AND JUSTIN CLARKE

FIRST-TIME FEATURE WRITER AND DIRECTOR Jeymes Samuel delivers a Western unlike any other with “The Harder They Fall.” Spotlighting an all-star cast that has already received this year’s Ensemble Tribute at the Gotham Awards, the film depicts a fictional revenge story—but with real-life American legends from the Old West. Jonathan Majors leads the cast as Nat Love, an outlaw who unites with his gang to seek revenge on the man who killed his parents. Majors continues to prove he’s leading man material; beneath his wisecracking confidence, there’s stern conflict just under the surface. Love has to be a leader and protect his posse while confronting his traumatic past, and Majors conveys all of that fluently. Rival gang leader Rufus Buck, played menacingly by Idris Elba, is the man Love is after. Elba has made a prestigious career out of portraying devious, calculating villains; but what makes Buck more vicious than even Stringer Bell of “The Wire” is that here, he’s above the law. There are more similarities between Love and Buck than there are differences, and their conflict

hinges on where each draws his moral line. Love is joined by his trusted advisor and lover, Zazie Beetz’s Mary Fields, aka Stagecoach Mary. As usual, Beetz is electric in both soft and action-packed moments. Though she’s always there for Love, she’s the master of her own fate and is willing to get her hands dirty no matter the outcome. RJ Cyler and Edi Gathegi play Jim Beckwourth and Bill Pickett, respectively; their witty repartee adds to the film’s comedic moments. The sibling-esque chemistry between Cyler and Gathegi is note-perfect; hopefully, we’ll see more collaborations between these two in the future. Danielle Deadwyler delivers an empowered performance as Cuffee, the scrappy muscle who joins Love’s crew on their quest. The stylish finesse she showcases while proving all of her doubters wrong offers this story’s most cheerworthy moments. Rounding out our team is Delroy Lindo as the legendary Bass Reeves, a U.S. Marshal who teams up with Love to bring down Buck. Lindo’s familiar gravitas fits nicely into the crew’s sensibilities, and he imbues the character with wisdom.

The always-fantastic Regina King joins Buck’s gang as “Treacherous” Trudy Smith. The obvious fun King has with her Old West accent alone makes her performance a joy to watch. She delivers a monologue about a key moment from her past, nonchalantly skinning an apple all the while; there’s no telling how the scene will play out, but you hang onto every word the Oscar and Emmy winner says, holding your breath to see what she does next. LaKeith Stanfield is Cherokee Bill, an infamous outlaw with a reputation for being the fastest gunslinger in the West. Stanfield brings a different kind of energy to the film, his wry humor delivered with calm conviction. Seeing him add yet another standout role to his catalog is a treat. It’s impressive to see how much Samuel accomplishes in his feature directorial debut. Sharp writing, plus stylish cinematography and editing, enhance the energetic performances from his all-star cast. Throw in the contemporary music he also created, and you have a fresh perspective on the classic Western. —JALEN MICHAEL

COURTESY NETFLIX

DELROY LINDO, JONATHAN MAJORS, DANIELLE DEADWYLER, EDI GATHEGI, AND RJ CYLER

backstage.com

12.20.21 BACKSTAGE

“THE CHEMISTRY AND TALENT OF THE CAST IS UNDENIABLE” PHILADELPHIA SUNDAY SUN

F O R

Y O U R

C O N S I D E R A T I O N

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

JENNIFER HUDSON

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

MARLON WAYANS • FOREST WHITAKER TITUSS BURGESS • MARC MARON

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

AUDRA MCDONALD • MARY J. BLIGE • SKYE DAKOTA TURNER KIMBERLY SCOTT • SAYCON SENGBLOH HAILEY KILGORE • HEATHER HEADLEY OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE © 2021 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved. For information on in-person and virtual events andscreenings go to WWW.UARELEASINGGUILDS.COM

COM

WINNER

TO P 1 0

BEST FILMS OF THE YEAR

BEST FILM OF THE YEAR BEST DIRECTOR PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON

F O R

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE ALANA HAIM & COOPER HOFFMAN

Y O U R

BE S T F I L M OF THE YEAR

C O N S I D E R A T I O N

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE

ALANA HAIM

SEAN PENN TOM WAITS BRADLEY COOPER BENNY SAFDIE

COOPER HOFFMAN

For information on in-person and virtual events and screenings go to WWW.UARELEASINGGUILDS.COM

“PETER DINKLAGE’S

WORK IS SIMPLY SUBLIME” VARIETY

F O R YO U R C O N S I D E R AT I O N OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE Peter Dinklage OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE Haley Bennett OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE Kelvin Harrison Jr. Ben Mendelsohn Bashir Salahuddin OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE

a JOE WRIGHT film

● Film

Ensembles

ADAM DRIVER AND LADY GAGA

“House of Gucci”

expressive, look effortless. She leads an ensemble cast that, in director Ridley Scott’s hands, paints a wickedly fabulous version of this chapter in Gucci’s history. As Maurizio, the reluctant would-be heir to the company, Adam Driver expands his repertoire once again, finding vulnerability and pathos in a tragic figure. Not only do he and Gaga effectively navigate the couple’s dramatic ups and downs over the course of years, but they also highlight their characters’ flaws, making it difficult for viewers to pick a side. Complicating Patrizia’s bid for power, and eventually becoming collateral damage, are the other Guccis: a stately Jeremy Irons as Rodolfo, a dastardly, charming Al Pacino as chairman Aldo, and an unrecognizable Jared Leto as aspiring designer Paolo. The latter is caked in prosthetics, plus facial hair and a bald cap; but it’s his over-enunciated, over-the-top line deliveries that make the family’s black sheep the most memorable character in the film. Leto invites us to laugh at poor Paolo before finally

rendering him so pitiable it hurts. Salma Hayek, meanwhile, receives one of this season’s funniest film introductions as Patrizia’s friend—and psychic—Pina. Understated yet intense, Hayek walks the line between campy and utterly serious in her scenes with Gaga. The two convey genuine menace while clearly having the time of their lives. Jack Huston plays his cards close to the vest as Domenico De Sole, the family’s confidante-turned-traitor; Camille Cottin shakes up the story as Paola Franchi, Maurizio’s childhood friend; and Reeve Carney makes a grand entrance as a young Tom Ford, the designer who revitalized the Gucci brand while dooming the family. You get the sense that Shakespeare would have admired “House of Gucci”—for the film’s meditations on human hubris that make it a tragedy, but also for its ability to weave in comedy. Let this cast’s absurd Italian accents wash over you, and you’re in for a fun, fabuloso time at the cinema. —JACK SMART

MAIN CAST: Reeve Carney, Camille Cottin, Adam Driver, Salma Hayek, Jack Huston, Jeremy Irons, Lady Gaga, Jared Leto, Al Pacino CASTING BY: Kate Rhodes James and Teresa Razzauti DIRECTED BY: Ridley Scott WRITTEN BY: Roberto Bentivegna and Becky Johnston (based on the book by Sara Gay Forden) DISTRIBUTED BY: United Artists Releasing

BACKSTAGE 12.20.21

backstage.com

FABIO LOVINO/MGM AND UNIVERSAL

ONE OF THE INTRODUCTORY LINES IN “HOUSE of Gucci” doubles as a descriptor of its award-winning cast members: “It was a name,” says Patrizia Gucci, nee Reggiani, “synonymous with wealth, style, power.” So high is the pedigree of this film’s ensemble and so entertaining are their performances that you’ll end up thoroughly starstruck, from the opening moments to the shocking conclusion. Following up her Oscar-winning “A Star Is Born” success by going in a diametrically opposite direction, Lady Gaga stuns as Patrizia, aka Lady Gucci, aka the Black Widow. Convicted of orchestrating the murder of her ex-husband Maurizio Gucci in 1995, Patrizia makes for a perfectly salacious subject, especially since little is known about her life prior to the well-publicized hit. Gaga gets to inhabit her youth, humanize a woman the global media was eager to villainize, and still embody a juicy character. She channels 1980s Italian extravagance as only a true diva can, pulling off the elusive trick of making every line and gesture, no matter how

F O R

Y O U R

S A G

A W A R D S®

C O N S I D E R A T I O N

I N C L U D I N G

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE

BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

WILL SMITH

AUNJANUE ELLIS, SANIYYA SIDNEY, DEMI SINGLETON

JON BERNTHAL, TONY GOLDWYN

“EMOTIONALLY POWERFUL. ‘KING RICHARD’ IS FUNNY, POIGNANT AND INSPIRING. WILL SMITH DELIVERS A FEROCIOUS, ALL-CONSUMING PERFORMANCE THAT IS JUST AS UNCOMPROMISING AND ALL-ENGULFING AS THE TITLE CHARACTER HIMSELF.” ANN HORNADAY,

WINNER TOP 10

MOTION PICTURES OF THE YEAR

WINNER

2021 TOP FILM

“SANIYYA SIDNEY AND DEMI SINGLETON ARE LIVELY, NATURAL ACTORS, GIVING HUMAN (AND OCCASIONALLY HEARTBREAKING) SHAPE TO THESE PORTRAITS OF PHENOMS AS YOUNG WOMEN.” RICHARD LAWSON,

WINNER

BEST ACTOR

WILL SMITH

“AUNJANUE ELLIS AS VENUS AND SERENA’S MOTHER ORACENE PRICE IS A REAL REVELATION. WILL SMITH TURNS IN ONE OF THE BEST PERFORMANCES OF HIS CAREER AS THE EPONYMOUS RICHARD WILLIAMS, AND ELLIS MATCHES HIM AT EVERY TURN.” KATE ERBLAND,

CRITICS’ CHOICE AWARD NOMINATIONS

BEST PICTURE

INCLUDING

BEST ACTOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS BEST SONG WILL SMITH AUNJANUE ELLIS “BE ALIVE”

W W W. W B AWA R DS . COM

WINNER

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

AUNJANUE ELLIS

● Film

Ensembles

“The Humans” MAIN CAST: Beanie

Feldstein, Jayne Houdyshell, Richard Jenkins, Amy Schumer, June Squibb, Steven Yeun Karam DISTRIBUTED BY: A24

CASTING BY: Ellen

Chenoweth

DIRECTED BY: Stephen

Karam

WRITTEN BY: Stephen

ANYONE WITH A WORKING KNOWLEDGE OF New York theater is familiar with the impact “The Humans” had when it hit Broadway in 2016. It was only a matter of time before the disquieting family drama—which won the Tony for best play and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize—got the prestige film treatment. We’re in good hands with playwright Stephen Karam at the helm as writer and director; he gives his material an impressively cinematic spin. The movie feels right at home among distributor A24’s growing roster of much-loved indie features. Beanie Feldstein stars as Brigid Blake, an artist on the cusp of adulthood who’s settling into New York’s Chinatown neighborhood with her boyfriend Richard, played by Oscar nominee Steven Yeun. As a housewarming for their rundown pre-war duplex apartment, they host the rest of the Blake family for Thanksgiving, who come in from Pennsylvania. Richard Jenkins is patriarch Erik; Jayne Houdyshell, the only holdover from the original Broadway cast, is matriarch Deirdre; Amy Schumer is Brigid’s sister Aimee; and Academy Award

nominee June Squibb is their dementia-addled grandmother Momo. The entire film takes place in the confines of the apartment to both intimate and, as the evening goes on, horrifically claustrophobic effect. Is there anything Feldstein can’t do? It’s easy to imagine Brigid as an older version of her “Lady Bird” breakout Julie. Warm and bubbly with dashes of neuroticism and self-loathing, she’s the relatable but not altogether reliable heart of the film, frenetically doing her best to not disappoint those around her. Richard, meanwhile, is her calm other half who seems unfit to weather the building emotional storm, which Yeun conveys with riveting nuance. It’s later revealed that Richard is on the other side of a depressive episode, which Erik shrugs off as a problem that doesn’t affect his family. (It clearly does, but the issue goes undiagnosed.) As Erik, two-time Oscar nominee Jenkins thrives where other actors might falter. Hiding a secret that slowly slips out after one too many beers, he holds our attention through the film’s creeping close-ups and elongated silences. He memorably embodies Erik’s habit

of staring blankly out of the apartment’s dust-clouded windows. His interior life is so engaging and his contradictory starkness and complexity is so heartbreaking that you begin to feel as trapped within his mind as the Blakes do in their single setting. His counterpart is Houdyshell, who finally gets the moment to shine that fans of her stage work have been waiting for, reprising her Tony-winning Deirdre. Her expressive face captures the bubbling existential crisis of “The Humans” with unforgettable precision. She’s matched by Schumer, whose dramatic turn as Aimee is stirringly somber—and surprising, given her bare-it-all comedic stylings. As the most direct product of Erik and Deirdre’s emotional stuntedness, she spends the evening grappling with insecurity, loneliness, and discomfort in her own skin in the wake of a tumultuous breakup. It feels like Aimee carries more sadness than she knows what to do with. Witnessing Schumer authentically tap into those parts of herself will have you wishing she’d sign up for more of A24’s family outings gone wrong. —BENJAMIN LINDSAY

WILSON WEBB

BACKSTAGE 12.20.21

backstage.com

FIRSTNAME/LASTNAME

RICHARD JENKINS

BEST PICTURE OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A

MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A

FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE REBECCA FERGUSON SHARON DUNCAN-BREWSTER

ZENDAYA

CHARLOTTE RAMPLING

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A

MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE OSCAR ISAAC

JOSH BROLIN

DAVE BAUTISTA

STEPHEN McKINLEY HENDERSON

JASON MOMOA

AN EPIC ENSEMBLE.”

“

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A

TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET

CRITICS CHOICE NOMINATIONS BEST PICTURE

TOP 10

MOTION PICTURES OF THE YEAR

SHARON DUNCAN-BREWSTER CHANG CHEN

INCLUDING

BEST DIRECTOR BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY DENIS VILLENEUVE JON SPAIHTS, DENIS VILLENEUVE,

REBECCA FERGUSON STELLAN SKARSGÅRD STEPHEN McKINLEY HENDERSON CHARLOTTE RAMPLING

OSCAR ISAAC DAVE BAUTISTA ZENDAYA JASON MOMOA

JAVIER BARDEM

ERIC ROTH

WINNER

JAVIER BARDEM

CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE JOSH BROLIN

WINNER

STELLAN SKARSGÅRD CHANG CHEN

F O R

Y O U R

S A G

A W A R D S®

2021 TOP FILM

W W W. W B AWA R D S . C OM

C O N S I D E R A T I O N

● Film

Ensembles

“In the Heights”

BACKSTAGE 12.20.21

backstage.com

MACALL POLAY

MAIN CAST: Marc Anthony, Melissa Barrera, Stephanie Beatriz, Gregory Diaz IV, Leslie Grace, Corey Hawkins, Chris Jackson, Olga Merediz, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Patrick Page, Dascha Polanco, Anthony Ramos, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Jimmy Smits CASTING BY: Tiffany Little Canfield and Bernard Telsey DIRECTED BY: Jon M. Chu WRITTEN BY: Quiara Alegría Hudes, Alex Lacamoire, and Lin-Manuel Miranda DISTRIBUTED BY: Warner Bros. Pictures

TOP: COURTESY WARNER BROS. PICTURES; BOTTOM: MACALL POLAY

MELISSA BARRERA, STEPHANIE BEATRIZ, LESLIE GRACE, DASCHA POLANCO, AND DAPHNE RUBIN-VEGA

“IN THE HEIGHTS” VERY WELL MIGHT HAVE been the first movie you saw in a real theater after more than a year away. Then again, you might have decided to watch it on HBO Max from the safety of your couch. Either way, this film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tonywinning Broadway musical is packed with enough joy to transcend the boundaries of the screen, no matter its size. Set in New York City’s Little Dominican Republic, Washington Heights, the musical follows Usnavi, a humble bodega owner trying to level up, and his neighborhood’s cast of characters. It’s a raucous good time bolstered by sweeping direction from “Crazy Rich Asians” helmer Jon M. Chu. But it’s screenwriter Quiara Alegría Hudes, composer Alex Lacamoire, and book and songwriter Miranda who really propel this talented group. The movie-magic treatment of this smash hit

requires a true leading man, and SAG Award nominee Anthony Ramos proves he fits the bill with his Usnavi. The actor serves up charisma, dancing, and a velvet voice—all while looking effortlessly fly. He brings chemistry to his scenes opposite love interest Vanessa, played by Melissa Barrera. (One of their exchanges, in fact, inspired a gender-swapping TikTok trend.) Barrera, a seasoned Mexican telenovela star, matches Ramos beat for beat and gives Vanessa a sense of longing that’s necessary for the character to work. Reprising her role as Abuela Claudia from the Broadway musical’s original run is the outstanding Olga Merediz. She is the only cast member to return to the production; and watching the actor’s devoted portrayal of a woman who is the beating heart of her community, we know why the film brought her back. Her rendition of “Paciencia y Fe”

(“Patience and Faith”), which shows off her dynamic vocal range and emotional connection to the material, is reason enough. Watching Merediz’s Abuela remember her life after immigrating to New York while standing at the center of a dream ballet on a vintage subway train is one of the film’s highlights. Alice Brooks elevates it all with her gorgeous cinematography. Benny (Corey Hawkins) and Nina’s (Leslie Grace) romance, Usanvi and Sonny’s (Gregory Diaz IV) tender familial relationship, and the mystery of who drew the winning $96,000 lottery ticket make for some of the most effective subplots of this film. Populating the rest of Washington Heights are outstanding supporters including Jimmy Smits, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Dascha Polanco, Stephanie Beatriz, Patrick Page, Marc Anthony, and frequent Miranda collaborator Chris Jackson. Each delivers on the promise their characters make to the world of the story and then some. The exchanges are rich, the challenges are timely, the love connections feel real, and the dancing is to die for. The power of “In the Heights” lies in its actors’ ability to weave its various storylines— all centered on love, the immigrant dream, and a pervading sense of community—into a gorgeous tapestry. Each theme is a brilliant playground for this cast. —BRIANA RODRIGUEZ

MACALL POLAY

TOP: COURTESY WARNER BROS. PICTURES; BOTTOM: MACALL POLAY

COREY HAWKINS, GREGORY DIAZ IV, AND ANTHONY RAMOS

backstage.com

OLGA MEREDIZ

12.20.21 BACKSTAGE

● Film

Ensembles

“King Richard”

Lashae Bartholomew, Jon Bernthal, Layla Crawford, Aunjanue Ellis, Tony Goldwyn, Daniele Lawson, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton, Delia and Avy Kaufman DIRECTED BY: Reinaldo Marcus Green WRITTEN BY: Zach Baylin DISTRIBUTED BY: Warner Bros. Pictures

CASTING BY: Rich

BACKSTAGE 12.20.21

backstage.com

CHIABELLA JAMES

MAIN CAST: Mikayla

Will Smith

COURTESY WARNER BROS. PICTURES

AUNJANUE ELLIS, MIKAYLA LASHAE BARTHOLOMEW, WILL SMITH, SANIYYA SIDNEY, DEMI SINGLETON, AND DANIELE LAWSON

YOU’VE HEARD OF VENUS AND SERENA Williams, two of the most powerful tennis players to ever hit the courts. But how much do you really know about the circumstances that got them there? Fans might be familiar with their Compton, California, upbringing and their years spent volleying balls (rain or shine!) before they caught a break; and they most definitely know about the groundbreaking successes and titles that followed. Director Reinaldo Marcus Green and writer Zach Baylin’s “King Richard” takes it a step further, painting a portrait of the people who are responsible for it all: their parents, Richard and Oracene “Brandy” Williams. SAG Award nominees Will Smith and Aunjanue Ellis star as a mom and dad trying to reverse engineer a better life for their children; it’s a true lesson in the merits of nurture over nature. The two form a forceful pair onscreen, and their performances are buoyed by new faces and seasoned vets alike. Producer-star Smith leads the ensemble as Richard, turning in some of his best work to date. The character’s tireless commitment to

his daughters is awe-inspiring; he plays every beat beautifully, from scheduling strict latenight practices to pitching Venus and Serena to top coaches. He nails Richard’s particular way of speaking, building layers around his legendary showmanship, motivations, and fears. It all makes for a complex portrait of a tenacious Black man who stopped at nothing to build his family’s legacy. Fresh off her Emmy- and SAG-nominated turn on “Lovecraft Country,” Ellis as the family matriarch continues to prove she can do it all. She shines brightest when she’s working in direct opposition to Smith. Brandy challenges Richard time and time again, but Ellis’ delivery never cuts him down. She merely redirects his attention toward the right thing; she’s the queen to Richard’s king. Stepping into the shoes of the Williams sisters are Saniyya Sidney as Venus and Demi Singleton as Serena. As the older sibling who’s the first to walk into the spotlight, Sidney’s character is the focal point of the film’s tensions. Despite spanning years and varying stages in Venus’ life, Sidney makes this look like an effortless

role to play, conveying both vulnerability and the fierce pride instilled by her parents. As Serena, Singleton makes sure her performance carries on the family resemblance, balancing nerves of steel and precociousness. Mikayla Lashae Bartholomew, Layla Crawford, and Daniele Lawson slot in perfectly to fill out the rest of this seven-person family. Jon Bernthal, meanwhile, proves exceptional as tennis coach Rick Macci. Often, he acts as the audience’s proxy for the frustration around Richard’s outlandish approach to managing his daughters’ careers—including not allowing them to play in juniors competitions before going pro and pulling them out of practice to go to Disney World. At other times, he’s the comic relief or the tough-love coach, and Bernthal is believable in every mode. The same could be said for the perfectly cast Tony Goldwyn as Venus’ first coach, Paul Cohen. Exploring weighty themes of Black fatherhood, legacy, and loyalty against the backdrop of high-stakes tennis, “King Richard” is a biopic done right—with the performances to game, set, and match. —BRIANA RODRIGUEZ

CHIABELLA JAMES

COURTESY WARNER BROS. PICTURES

WILL SMITH, DEMI SINGLETON, AND SANIYYA SIDNEY

backstage.com

12.20.21 BACKSTAGE

● Film

Ensembles

“The Lost Daughter” MAIN CAST: Jessie

Buckley, Olivia Colman, Dagmara Domińczyk, Jack Farthing, Ed Harris, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Dakota Johnson, Paul Mescal, Peter Sarsgaard Crawford DIRECTED BY: Maggie Gyllenhaal WRITTEN BY: Maggie Gyllenhaal (based on the novel by Elena Ferrante) DISTRIBUTED BY: Netflix

CASTING BY: Kahleen

ON THE SURFACE, MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL’S directorial debut “The Lost Daughter” follows an English literature professor, Leda (Olivia Colman), on a beach vacation in Greece, remembering the complicated decisions she made as a young mother. What brings up those memories are the relationships she develops on the island: a tentative friendship with a young mother, Nina (Dakota Johnson), and a thornier one with Nina’s extended family (Dagmara Domińczyk and Oliver Jackson-Cohen among them). Gyllenhaal peppers in flashbacks of Leda’s memories, with Jessie Buckley playing a younger version of the character. Jack Farthing plays her husband, and Peter Sarsgaard (Gyllenhaal’s real-life spouse) portrays an older colleague whom Leda becomes enamored with. It’s within this web of relationships—some frisky, some prickly—that the actors find their material. They have to work doubly hard because the text from Elena Ferrante does not specify much. It’s their interpretations that convey what’s simmering below the polite but pointed conversations. Take Leda and Callie (Domińczyk). Their relationship starts with a confrontation about space on the beach, followed by a truce; but

the underlying mistrust remains. Both actors convey outward niceness and inward hostility, and it’s amusing to watch them passive-aggressively squabble. Leda first observes Nina from afar, watching as she parents her easily upset daughter—which surfaces memories of her own confounding experience as a mother. Johnson is the object of desire here; the camera lingers on her just like Leda’s gaze does. The actor is entirely comfortable onscreen, welcoming the camera’s probing. There’s a disarming effortlessness to her presence that is not easily cultivated; some actors just have it. Colman reveals another side of Leda when she flirts with the custodian of her apartment building (Ed Harris), as well as a server at the beach (Paul Mescal). Colman is relaxed, funny, and utterly unguarded in these scenes. Harris navigates the tricky balance of playing a man who still has the charm to seduce, if not the stamina. Mescal, on the other hand, has appeal to spare, but Leda disarms him. There’s an innocence and joy to these scenes, and the actors obviously enjoy sparring with each other. Yet these relationships become complicated, and Colman, Harris, and Mescal keep surprising

the audience with unexpected shades to their performances. In flashbacks, Buckley contends with conflicting situations: the confusing exhaustion of young parenthood with Farthing, and the erotic charge of the new and forbidden with Sarsgaard. Although they don’t share any screen time, her performance must also act in concert with Colman’s. Buckley convinces us that she will grow up to be present-day Leda, and it’s perceptive, generous work. What holds all these performances together is Colman at the center. In “The Lost Daughter,” the SAG, Emmy, and Oscar winner shows off new facets of her screen personality. She dares to be unsympathetic and off-putting while also conveying an underlying compassion for Leda’s choices. Some of them are bewildering, some understandable, and others downright abhorrent. But through it all, the audience never loses its connection with Colman. The characters’ murky, complicated relationships with each other lead to wondrous moments for the actors onscreen, putting them in the running for best ensemble of the year. —MURTADA ELFADL

YANNIS DRAKOULIDIS/NETFLIX

BACKSTAGE 12.20.21

backstage.com

FIRSTNAME/LASTNAME

OLIVIA COLMAN

NOMINATIONS BEST PICTURE BEST ACTOR INCLUDING

CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS

“THE

BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR BEST ACTING KIRSTEN DUNST

KODI SMIT-MCPHEE

ENSEMBLE

BEST PICTURE OF THE YEAR.”

“A NEW GOLD STANDARD FOR ENSEMBLE ACTING. A TRIUMPH IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD.” PETER TRAVERS,

“THE

BEST PICTURE OF THE YEAR. Benedict Cumberbatch is unforgettable and astounding.” WINNER - BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH Best Actor Philadelphia Film Critics Circle • Phoenix Film Critics Society Atlanta Film Critics Circle • Boston Online Film Critics Association • New York Film Critics Circle New York Film Critics Online • Southeastern Film Critics Association

★★★★★

“

NOTHING SHORT OF EXTRAORDINARY.

WINNER - KIRSTEN DUNST Best Supporting Actress Altanta Film Critics Circle Boston Online Film Critics Association Southeastern Film Critics Association

Kirsten Dunst is magnificent.”

WINNER - JANE CAMPION Best Director Venice Film Festival • Philadelphia Film Critics Circle Atlanta Film Critics Circle • Boston Online Film Critics Association • New York Film Critics Circle New York Film Critics Online • Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Southeastern Film Critics Association

WINNER - JANE CAMPION Best Adapted Screenplay Phoenix Film Critics Society • Philadelphia Film Critics Circle Boston Online Film Critics Association • Detroit Film Critics Society • Las Vegas Film Critics Society New York Film Critics Online • Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Southeastern Film Critics Association

“A

POWERHOUSE ENSEMBLE. Kodi Smit-McPhee is remarkable.” WINNER - KODI SMIT-MCPHEE

Best Supporting Actor Philadelphia Film Critics Circle • Boston Online Film Critics Association • New York Film Critics Circle New York Film Critics Online • Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Southeastern Film Critics Association

“RIVETING

AND UNPREDICTABLE.

A transfixing performance from Jesse Plemons.” FILM.NETFLIXAWARDS.COM

F I L M

Y O

B Y

A C A D E M Y

A W A R D® W I N N E R

J A N E

A T

C A M P I O N

● Film

Ensembles

ANN DOWD AND REED BIRNEY

“Mass”

MAIN CAST: Reed

than another, and each gets their moment to shine. At the same time, none of these standout scenes feel contrived or only there for the sake of giving each actor equal billing. The tension is gradual, and the release—when it does come—is earned. But that certainly doesn’t make the film any easier to watch. It would be impossible to single out one performance as superior or even as the piece’s “leading” turn. They are all inextricable from one another, and especially in the cases of the couples, shaped by one another. Plimpton’s turn, however, is the most surprising. In recent years, the actor has been known for playing comedic television roles—but there is nothing to laugh about in her work here. Though initially closed off, Plimpton’s Gail ultimately has the most visceral response to the day’s events, and her emotional explosion provides the film’s moment of release. Her foil, Dowd’s Linda, makes Plimpton’s outward agony even more affecting. Dowd is no stranger to excruciating circumstances (this is Aunt Lydia from “The Handmaid’s Tale,” after

Birney, Michelle N. Carter, Ann Dowd, Jason Isaacs, Martha Plimpton, Breeda Wool Kranz WRITTEN BY: Fran Kranz DISTRIBUTED BY: Bleecker Street

all), and she’s at her best here. “Mass”—and the performances of these two women—gets the audience to sympathize equally with both of their situations. Is it a worse fate to be the mother of the victim or the mother of the murderer? “Mass” doesn’t have an answer to that question, and it doesn’t claim to. What it does examine are the ways in which grief can manifest for years and years. This is most evident in the performances of the two fathers, played with an admirable lack of stoicism by Isaacs and Birney. Their common thread is their tendency to hyper-fixate on something, anything, to distract them from the hell of their everyday realities. What is most apparent from watching the film’s quartet bounce off each other is the mutual support they provide each other. How else would they be able to wade into such treacherous subject matter? And yet, it’s been reported that the cast laughed constantly off-camera; it’s proof as much as anything else that joy and sorrow go hand in hand. — CASEY MINK

CASTING BY: Henry

Russell Bergstein and Allison Estrin

DIRECTED BY: Fran

BACKSTAGE 12.20.21

backstage.com

BLEECKER STREET

DESPITE ITS SINGLE SETTING—A SPARSE, dreary meeting room in the bowels of a church—“Mass” is one of the most exhilarating films you’ll see this year. That’s due in large part to filmmaker Fran Kranz’s script and direction, but it’s also thanks to live-wire performances from the production’s four stars. Martha Plimpton and Jason Isaacs portray the parents of a boy who was killed in a school shooting, and Ann Dowd and Reed Birney play the parents of the boy who gunned him down before taking his own life. The conceit alone is enough to stop you in your tracks. The two sets of parents have been brought together on this day for a mediation session that’s intended to create space for asking and answering questions in hopes of providing some form of closure. To varying extents, that does occur; but what happens along the way is scenery-chomping that would send a shiver down Edward Albee’s spine. What makes this film the epitome of an ensemble piece is also what makes it so thrilling to behold: No actor takes up more space

FIRSTNAME/LASTNAME

2B E S T

C R I T I C S C H O I C E I AN C LWU D I AN G R D N O M I N A T I O N S

ACTING ENSEMBLE

“★★★★

ONE OF THE BEST CASTS IMAGINABLE.” “A TERRIFIC CAST. Through sheer power of representation, it’s shaking up the very restrictive codes of — and finding fresh life in — the Western genre.”

AN AMAZINGLY TALENTED CAST . A wonderful showcase for screen-stealing acting, with virtually everyone in the all-star cast “

getting some center stage moments and knocking it out of the park.”

F O R

Y O U R

S A G

A W A R D S® C O N S I D E R A T I O N FILM.NETFLIXAWARDS.COM

● Film

Ensembles

BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH AND JESSE PLEMONS

“The Power of the Dog”

Gordon, played with brittle intensity by SAG Award winner Kirsten Dunst. From the moment Rose and Phil meet, it’s clear that her meek nature awakens something in him. His initial unkindness soon blooms into a savagery designed to break her, with Cumberbatch taking every opportunity to demonstrate Phil’s brutality. He shows his enthusiasm for the task with his spine-chilling whistling, which he deploys both as a warning and a rallying cry throughout the film. Tapping into the animalistic—at times Phil’s a wily feline looking for prey, at others a slimy reptile assessing everyone around him—Cumberbatch builds a complex character who’s more than his irrational macho outbursts would suggest. For her part, Dunst is as raw and vulnerable as she’s ever been. Lit by George’s warmth (Plemons and Dunst’s real-life chemistry is an added bonus), Rose opens up, only to find herself left to fend off Phil’s humiliations alone. Soon, she finds comfort in the bottles of bourbon she hides around their cavernous house. Dunst renders her slow descent into

alcoholism beautifully and plays Rose like her namesake flower: a thing of fragile beauty that risks wilting without proper care. The majority of “The Power of the Dog” operates as a series of duets, and its final third finds its most thrilling match once Rose’s son Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee) comes to live with his mother. At first prey, then a welcome mentee, then a possible threat to Phil, Smit-McPhee unnerves and captivates whenever he’s onscreen. Tackling his most mature role to date, the former child actor is a revelation, keeping the young boy’s eerie strangeness a knotted mystery up until the credits roll. While the central quartet dominates much of the story, there’s an impressive roster of veterans who make the most of their contributions. As Burbank parents “Old Gent” and “Old Lady,” Peter Carroll and Frances Conroy are commanding. Geneviève Lemon, playing the siblings’ no-nonsense housekeeper; Keith Carradine as the stuffy Governor; and Adam Beach as Edward Nappo, a local Native American man, round out the cast of Campion’s intimate epic. —MANUEL BETANCOURT

MAIN CAST: Adam Beach, Keith Carradine, Peter Carroll, Frances Conroy, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Geneviève Lemon, Thomasin McKenzie, Jesse Plemons, Kodi Smit-McPhee CASTING BY: Nikki Barrett, Tina Cleary, Carmen Cuba, and Nina Gold DIRECTED BY: Jane Campion WRITTEN BY: Jane Campion (based on Thomas Savage’s novel) DISTRIBUTED BY: Netflix

BACKSTAGE 12.20.21

backstage.com

KIRSTY GRIFFIN/NETFLIX

“THE POWER OF THE DOG” ASKS ITS ACTORS to lean into restraint; Jane Campion’s adaptation of Thomas Savage’s 1967 novel is, after all, a tale of things unsaid. The Western, which picked up the Silver Lion for best direction at the 2021 Venice Film Festival, stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Jesse Plemons as ranching brothers in 1920s Montana trying to build their lives on what feels like the edge of the world. The two couldn’t be more different. Phil Burbank, played by SAG and Academy Award nominee Cumberbatch, is a pure force of nature. He’s a man of the earth who’s most at home atop a horse with the wind on his face. He delights in solitary baths at the local creek almost as much as he does in unleashing his cruelty on those he deems weak and worthy of his rage. George (SAG Award winner Plemons), on the other hand, is a gentleman whose tweed suits and soft-spoken demeanor match his quiet charm. As business partners and housemates, the siblings have learned how to navigate each other’s lives—that is, until George introduces his new bride, Rose

C R I T I C S C H O I C E A W A R D N O M I N AT I O N S INCLUDING

BEST PICTURE BEST ENSEMBLE Leonardo DiCAPRIO Jennifer LAWRENCE Rob MORGAN Jonah HILL Mark RYLANCE Tyler PERRY Timothée CHALAMET Ron PERLMAN Ariana GRANDE Scott MESCUDI with Cate BLANCHETT and Meryl STREEP

WINNER ONE OF THE BEST PICTURES OF THE YEAR

FILM.NETFLIXAWARDS.COM

“GREAT PERFORMANCES BY ONE OF THE BEST CASTS EVER ASSEMBLED.”

● Film

Ensembles

“Spencer” MAIN CAST: Jack

Farthing, Stella Gonet, Sean Harris, Sally Hawkins, Jack Nielen, Timothy Spall, Freddie Spry, Kristen Stewart Larraín WRITTEN BY: Steven Knight DISTRIBUTED BY: Neon

CASTING BY: Amy

Hubbard

DIRECTED BY: Pablo

THE INESCAPABLE CELEBRITY-BIOPIC GENRE is riddled with cliches. That’s why Pablo Larraín’s “Spencer” is so refreshing. It doesn’t follow the formula of the surface-level portraits of famous faces that have taken home awards gold. Instead, it lets Kristen Stewart deliver a take on Princess Diana that is at once true to life and singularly her own. “Spencer,” which announces itself as “a fable from a true tragedy,” takes place over three fretful days at Sandringham House, the countryside estate where Diana joins the royal family for Christmas celebrations. The year is 1991, and Diana has chosen to drive herself instead of being chauffeured—the first of many small decisions that put her at odds with palace protocol. In Stewart’s hands, the only time Diana seems comfortable is when she is free from the prying eyes of the royals’ many attendants who tell her what to wear and how to behave. Like Natalie Portman as Jacqueline Kennedy in Larraín’s “Jackie,” Stewart is the film’s centerpiece. Surrounding her is an ensemble that gives texture to Diana’s existential crisis. Though Larraín keeps Prince Charles (Jack Farthing) on the periphery of the story, Diana decides by the movie’s end that she will leave the surly prince, who tends to hiss when he deigns to speak to her at all. Two

people inadvertently help Diana make that scandalous decision: Sandringham’s head page (Timothy Spall) and the sole aide Diana trusts (Sally Hawkins). Spall is a hulking presence in “Spencer,” casting a judgmental gaze over Diana’s turmoil. Despite being a veteran known for “Secrets & Lies,” “Sweeney Todd,” and the “Harry Potter” franchise, Spall has never received deserved awards recognition. His performance and Hawkins’ are what great supporting turns are all about. Spall becomes a foil to Stewart, practically stalking her to demand that she follow the rules of the house. He strikes a wise balance: restrained enough to be pleasant, but invasive enough to be off-putting. Hawkins, meanwhile, occupies a juicier place in Diana’s inner circle. She plays Maggie, the royal dresser who’s tasked with putting the right clothing on Diana’s body at the right time. A two-time Oscar nominee (for “Blue Jasmine’’ and “The Shape of Water”), Hawkins brings a serenity to Maggie, making it immediately clear why Diana would choose her over the fussier, more stilted lackeys that populate Sandringham. The affectionate glimmer in Hawkins’ eyes is a relief for the princess. Narratively, she occupies a similar place to Greta Gerwig’s as Jacqueline’s longtime

confidant Nancy Tuckerman in “Jackie.” Whenever Hawkins is onscreen, the audience knows the protagonist might at last find a moment of peace. The remainder of the cast—namely Sean Harris as the head chef, Stella Gonet as Queen Elizabeth II, and talented newcomer Jack Nielen as a young Prince William—get their moments to shine as they counsel or console Diana. Everyone is working to keep her breakdown at bay, but few seem capable of actually caring for her. That tension heightens Stewart’s performance. Larraín’s frequent use of close-ups emphasizes the intensity of Diana’s situation, such as when she’s told that her bedroom curtains will be stitched together to prevent paparazzi shots. It is crazy-making, as if her access to the outside world has been stolen from her. “Spencer” could potentially mark Stewart’s first major awards recognition, though she did earn a SAG nomination alongside the rest of the cast of “Into the Wild” in 2008. Even amid comparisons to Emma Corrin in the same role on “The Crown,” Stewart’s Diana is a master class. She captures the late royal’s uneasy gestures and breathy voice while avoiding the mimicry that can turn biopic performances into caricatures. This is the work of an actor who has come into her own. —MATTHEW JACOBS

KRISTEN STEWART, FREDDIE SPRY, AND JACK NIELEN

COURTESY NEON

BACKSTAGE 12.20.21

backstage.com

backstage guides

In The Envelope The Actor’s Podcast

Ken Jeong

Oscar Isaac & Jessica Chastain

Corey Hawkins

Michael Shannon

Rosie Perez

Catriona Belfie

Subscribe now wherever you listen to podcasts!

backstage.com/podcasts

BACKSTAGE.COM

● Film

Ensembles

FIRSTNAME/LASTNAME

BACKSTAGE 12.20.21

backstage.com

FIRSTNAME/LASTNAME

“The Tragedy of Macbeth”

FIRSTNAME/LASTNAME

DENZEL WASHINGTON AND FRANCES MCDORMAND

backstage.com

ALISON COHEN ROSA

FIRSTNAME/LASTNAME

JOEL COEN’S ADAPTATION OF “THE Tragedy of Macbeth” captures a larger-thanlife theatrically that’s rarely seen onscreen. The sets are huge, and the camera moves freely around them, making the audience feel as if they are in a vast amphitheater. Bruno Delbonnel’s stunning black-and-white cinematography foretells the darkness of this familiar Shakespearean tale. However, what unites it all are the brilliant performances from this ensemble of actors. Although from different backgrounds and techniques— British, American, theater-trained, or cinema icons—together they are magnificent. Denzel Washington brings a world weariness to his Macbeth, a man running out of time and defeated by age. The choice to cast older actors in these roles changes their essential dynamic: Instead of cunning ambition, this Macbeth and his wife portray a desperate last act. Washington’s Thane seems to be resigned to defeat from the beginning. He almost doesn’t believe the glory of the witches’ prophecy but clings to their warnings of danger, letting it drive him to destruction. Washington is physically committed, walking across the huge sets as if his legs can barely carry him. As Macbeth starts to go mad, Washington recoils inside, his body straining to hold in his guilt. His interpretation may elicit sympathy that’s not usually associated with this character. Shakespeare has always been funny, but Lady Macbeth is rarely a performance associated with laughs. Yet the legendary Frances McDormand offers pleasure and a sense of play as the tragedies pile up. It’s a shrewd performance that becomes heartbreaking as the lady of the manor loses her sense of reality. Her “Out, damned spot”

speech is a whispered, spare depiction of madness that sends chills down your spine. The tragedy of the Macduffs is played to devastating effect, despite the two actors appearing in the story separately—and ever so briefly. Moses Ingram as Lady Macduff makes a huge impact in a single, heartpiercing scene. Prowling around like a lioness in a cage, Ingram bristles as a mother trying to protect her child as her last act. Corey Hawkins offers sharp intensity and paternal sorrow as Macduff, reeling from the news of his family’s fate. His reaction complements the guilt in Washington’s Macbeth, making theirs an emotional duet. Coen’s conception of Ross, a character seldom thought of in most versions of “Macbeth,” is something to behold. Here, he becomes both a bearer of news and a commentator on it. Wearing Mary Zophres’ slim costumes immaculately, Alex Hassell centers his performance on movement. Matching him is the extraordinary Kathryn Hunter as not one of the prophetic witches, but all three. Between her croaking voice and jutting knees and elbows, you may feel the performance’s impact in your gut. Hassell glides while Hunter contorts; both are expert theater actors bringing a startling visual edge to their portrayals. These are demonstrations of how to use one’s whole body to tell a story. Rounding out the cast are Brendan Gleeson as Duncan, Harry Melling as Malcolm, and a bushy-browed Bertie Carvel as Banquo, all bringing their own readings to the Bard’s tragedy. That’s the inherent joy of Coen’s adaptation: watching all these superb actors together, doing what they do best. —MURTADA ELFADL

MAIN CAST: Bertie Carvel, Brendan Gleeson, Alex Hassell, Corey Hawkins, Kathryn Hunter, Moses Ingram, Frances McDormand, Harry Melling, Denzel Washington CASTING BY: Ellen Chenoweth DIRECTED BY: Joel Coen WRITTEN BY: Joel Coen (based on William Shakespeare’s play) DISTRIBUTED BY: A24/Apple TV+

12.20.21 BACKSTAGE

● Film

Ensembles

“West Side Story”

MAIN CAST: David

was evidence enough. Here, Elgort proves himself as a heavyweight actor, and a lovely singer to boot. In golden age fashion, the big discovery of the film is Zegler, who is a revelation in her cinematic debut. It’s inevitable that she’ll go on to massive stardom; she’s already been cast in a live-action “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” remake as well as the “Shazam!” sequel. (And to think she landed the role of María in part thanks to YouTube videos she posted of herself singing in her bedroom.) The chemistry between Elgort and Zegler, crucial to the success of any romance, crackles in all the right places. And speaking of chemistry, Ariana DeBose has it with everyone. As Anita, DeBose never plays a stereotype or makes the easy or obvious choice. It’s a feat made all the more impressive by the fact that the original film’s Anita—Rita Moreno, who won an Academy Award for her performance—is looking on as she does it. Playing Valentina, a new character created

for this rendition, Moreno is every inch the performer she was 60 years ago. The only difference now is that she’s a certified icon, too. Moreno’s involvement feels like a blessing on this new take. Along with those standout performances, “West Side Story” is supported by a terrific ensemble of veteran actors and newcomers alike. David Alvarez is just the right degree of slimy as Bernardo; Mike Faist is all ill-fated bluster as Riff; and Brian d’Arcy James as Officer Krupke is, frankly, a casting that took too long to happen. Which is all to say that if you’re a longtime fan of the Broadway musical-turned-film, whether you’re Team Jets or Team Sharks, you will find everything you love in this adaptation—and likely some new things, too. And if you’re new to “West Side Story”—or even critical of it—this version is all but assured to convert you. Go in with an open mind, and you just might walk out feeling pretty, witty, and positively gay. — CASEY MINK

Alvarez, Ariana DeBose, Ansel Elgort, Mike Faist, Brian d’Arcy James, Iris Menas, Rita Moreno, Josh Andrés Rivera, Corey Stoll, Rachel Zegler Tolan DIRECTED BY: Steven Spielberg WRITTEN BY: Tony Kushner (based on Arthur Laurents’ book) DISTRIBUTED BY: 20th Century Studios

CASTING BY: Cindy

BACKSTAGE 12.20.21

backstage.com

NIKO TAVERNISE

IF YOU WANT TO SUCCESSFULLY REMAKE A film from the past, you should have a good reason to do so. Fortunately for movie lovers, Steven Spielberg proves he has many wonderful reasons to reimagine “West Side Story,” the classic musical so memorably adapted for the cinema in 1961. From the standpoint of both actor and creator, the most challenging part of rebooting a beloved property is paying homage to what came before while still putting one’s own spin on it. It’s a line this “West Side Story” expertly toes, thanks to a retooled script by “Angels in America” playwright and frequent Spielberg collaborator Tony Kushner, as well as the film’s troupe of actors. Led by Ansel Elgort and newcomer Rachel Zegler as the star-crossed Tony and María, the cast feels modern in a way that makes the material seem well-placed in today’s film landscape. There was little doubt that Elgort could pull off musical leading man status—his easy charisma in “Baby Driver”

O U T S TA N D I N G PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPOR TING ROLE TONY LEUNG

O U T S TA N D I N G PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPOR TING ROLE AW K WA F I N A

O U T S TA N D I N G A C T I O N P E R F O R M A N C E B Y A S T U N T E N S E M B L E I N A M O T I O N P I C T U R E

“A CROSS-GENERATIONAL, CULTURE-FORWAR D ORIGIN STORY AND FAMILY DR AMA.” F O R

Y O U R

C O N S I D E R A T I O N

Backstage Magazine, Digital Edition: December 20, 2021 SAG Awards Film Issue

Articles inside

“West Side Story”

“The Tragedy of Macbeth”

“Spencer”

“Mass”

“The Lost Daughter”

“The Power of the Dog”

“In the Heights”

“King Richard”

“The Humans”

“Being the Ricardos”

“Don’t Look Up”

“Dune”

“House of Gucci”

“Belfast”

“The Harder They Fall”

“The French Dispatch”

“CODA”