‘Licorice Pizza’ Tops National Board of Review’s 2021 List of Best Films

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December 2, 2021

Eight-time Oscar nominee Paul Thomas Anderson earned the Best Director award for Licorice Pizza and the movie was named Best Film by the National Board of Review. NPR also awarded Licorice Pizza‘s Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman Breakthrough Performance awards, while West Side Story‘s Rachel Zegler received the group’s Best Actress award and Will Smith picked up the Best Actor award for his performance as Venus and Serena Williams’ dad in King Richard.

“In a moment of transition and uncertainty, there is nothing like Licorice Pizza to remind us of the joy, hope, and exhilaration that great cinema can inspire. The NBR is honored to award the movie as its Best Film of 2021, as well as its brilliant creator, Paul Thomas Anderson, and all of our other awardees,” stated NBR President Annie Schulhof.

This year’s winners will be honored at NBR’s awards gala set for January 11, 2022.

National Board of Review’s 2021 Winners:

Best Film: LICORICE PIZZA
Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson, LICORICE PIZZA
Best Actor: Will Smith, KING RICHARD
Best Actress: Rachel Zegler, WEST SIDE STORY
Best Supporting Actor: Ciarán Hinds, BELFAST
Best Supporting Actress: Aunjanue Ellis, KING RICHARD
Best Original Screenplay: Asghar Farhadi, A HERO
Best Adapted Screenplay: Joel Coen, THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH
Breakthrough Performance: Alana Haim & Cooper Hoffman, LICORICE PIZZA
Best Directorial Debut: Michael Sarnoski, PIG
Best Animated Feature: ENCANTO
Best Foreign Language Film: A HERO
Best Documentary: SUMMER OF SOUL (…OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED)
Best Ensemble: THE HARDER THEY FALL
Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography: Bruno Delbonnel, THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH
NBR Freedom of Expression Award: FLEE

Top Films of 2021 (in alphabetical order)

Belfast
Don’t Look Up
Dune
King Richard
The Last Duel
Nightmare Alley
Red Rocket
The Tragedy of Macbeth
West Side Story

Top 5 Foreign Language Films (in alphabetical order)

Benedetta
Lamb
Lingui, The Sacred Bonds
Titane
The Worst Person in the World

Top 5 Documentaries (in alphabetical order)

Ascension
Attica
Flee
The Rescue
Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain

Top 10 Independent Films (in alphabetical order)

The Card Counter
C’mon C’mon
CODA
The Green Knight
Holler
Jockey
Old Henry
Pig
Shiva Baby
The Souvenir Part II

‘Abbott Elementary’ First Look: Get Schooled with ABC’s New Workplace Comedy

By

Rebecca Murray

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December 2, 2021

If you miss The Office, then ABC’s Abbott Elementary might be right up your alley. The mockumentary-style workplace comedy is set at an elementary school and follows the day-to-day adventures of teachers at a seriously underfunded school.

The first-look video dropped during ABC’s midseason press conference and ahead of the series’ special early premiere on Tuesday, December 7, 2021. The new comedy will air in its normal Tuesdays at 9pm ET/PT time slot beginning January 4, 2022.

Series star Quinta Brunson created Abbott Elementary and serves as a writer and executive producer. The cast of the mockumentary also includes Tyler James Williams as Gregory Eddie, Janelle James as Ava Coleman, Chris Perfetti as Jacob Hill, Lisa Ann Walter as Melissa Schemmenti, and Sheryl Lee Ralph as Barbara Howard.

The series is produced by Warner Bros. Television and 20th Television, a part of Disney Television Studios.

ABC released the following synopsis for the first season of Abbott Elementary:

“From creator, executive producer and star Quinta Brunson and executive producers Justin Halperin and Patrick Schumacker comes Abbott Elementary, a workplace comedy following a group of dedicated, passionate teachers — and a slightly tone-deaf principal — as they navigate the Philadelphia public school system. Despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life, and though these incredible public servants may be outnumbered and underfunded, they love what they do — even if they don’t love the school district’s less-than-stellar attitude toward educating children.”

‘Women of the Movement’ Preview: Behind the Scenes of ABC’s Powerful Limited Series

By

Rebecca Murray

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December 2, 2021

ABC’s Women of the Movement limited series stars Adrienne Warren as Mamie Till-Mobley, the mother of Emmett Till and a woman who became a powerful civil rights activist following Emmett’s horrific murder. Mamie refused to allow her son’s death to be forgotten or pushed to the back page of newspapers and instead took her very personal, tragic loss and turned it into a movement.

During ABC and Disney Television Studios’ midseason press conference, the cast and series creator/executive producer/showrunner Marissa Jo Cerar confirmed their commitment to telling Emmett Till’s story as truthfully as possible – a story that, unfortunately, remains incredibly timely.

“What happened is still happening,” said Cerar. “Literally while I was writing the finale it’s the summer of George Floyd. So, it’s still happening.”

In support of the series’ upcoming premiere on Thursday, January 6, 2022 premiere, ABC released a compelling behind-the-scenes video. They also released the first photos from the limited series starring Adrienne Warren, Tonya Pinkins as Alma Cartham, Cedric Joe as Emmett Till, Ray Fisher as Gene Mobley, Glynn Turman as Mose Wright, Chris Coy as J.W. Milam, Carter Jenkins as Roy Bryant, and Julia McDermott as Carolyn Bryant.

Women of the Movement is executive produced by Aaron Kaplan, Dana Honor and Michael Lohmann for Kapital Entertainment; Shawn Carter, Jay Brown and Tyran “Ty Ty” Smith for Roc Nation; Will Smith and James Lassiter for Westbrook; Rosanna Grace for Serendipity Group Inc.; Alex Foster and John Powers Middleton for Middleton Media Group; David Clark for Mazo Partners; and Gina Prince-Bythewood. Cerar wrote the first episode and Prince-Bythewood directed. Additional directors include Tina Mabry, Julie Dash, and Kasi Lemmons.

Review: ‘Encounter’ Starring Riz Ahmed

By

Rebecca Murray

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December 2, 2021

If only Encounter’s screenplay was worthy of the passionate performance delivered by Riz Ahmed, the R-rated drama might have been something special. Instead, too many details pivotal to maintaining a sense of suspense are revealed early on, lessening the impact of their confirmation later in the film.

Oscar nominee Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal) stars as Malik Khan, a decorated Marine who did 10 tours of duty and has obviously been left deeply scarred by the experience. Malik’s ex-wife has custody of his two young sons – Jay (Lucian-River Chauhan) and Bobby (Aditya Geddada) – and although Malik has kept in close touch via letters, he hasn’t seen his kids in two years.

Malik has explained his absence by claiming he’s been kept busy on a secret mission, and so his kids are shocked to find him suddenly showing up in the middle of the night in their bedroom. He allows them only a few minutes to get ready and then announces they’re hitting the road. Their destination: a remote location in Nevada.

Malik doesn’t lay out his plans in detail and instead it’s Jay – a clever, empathetic kid – who puts the pieces together. The young boys are surprised to learn their dad’s convinced an alien invasion is underway since it’s not on the news and no one seems to be talking about it. But they love their dad and are willing to accept that Earth’s under attack by parasitic aliens that infect people via bug bites.

Malik suggests they liberally apply bug spray to protect themselves from mosquitos and other potential alien spreaders. He also insists he’s able to spot the infected by looking in their eyes and reveals their mom and her boyfriend were infected. The kids accept this development and it strengthens the “us against the world” bond between the boys and their dad.

Malik becomes increasingly manic as the trio drive hours on end to get to the base where others who understand the threat are gathered. His talk of an invasion that’s somehow managed to escape the attention of the media becomes too much for Jay to continue to accept and support, and as the older brother, he understands he’s been placed in a position to not only protect his little brother but also keep his father from being harmed. That’s a nearly untenable task as Malik violently attacks (but doesn’t kill) anyone he encounters who stands in the way of getting his boys to what he believes is a safe location.

Malik cares deeply for his boys, yet his anger is also occasionally directed at Jay and Bobby. His frustration rises and his desperation mounts, and Malik’s already tenuous grip on reality puts his kids – who he promised to protect – in the line of fire.

As Malik’s frantic road trip gets underway, we’re introduced to his hard-working parole officer, Hattie, played by the unfortunately underutilized Oscar winner Octavia Spencer. Hattie didn’t believe kidnapping his sons was something Malik had in him, and she begins to question whether she’s grossly misjudged not only Malik but other parolees whose cases she handles. If she didn’t anticipate Malik making this felonious move, how can she trust herself to assess other parolees’ abilities to conduct themselves in society?

That question would have been an excellent leaping-off point for Hattie to exam her actions, but it’s only briefly touched on and then tossed away.

Ultimately, without the tantalizing element of being allowed to question exactly what’s going on in the mind of Ahmed’s character, Encounter has a very narrow story to tell. Unfortunately, that leads to scenes that feel repetitive and unnecessary.

Ahmed and his young co-stars, Lucian-River Chauhan and Aditya Geddada, are exceptional, with Ahmed displaying a mesmerizing mix of tenderness and terror. However, the outcome is apparent within the film’s first 30 minutes, thus muting the engagement we have with the trio as they head toward a fate telegraphed from the beginning.

GRADE: B-

MPAA Rating: R

Release Date: Limited release on December 3, 2021 followed by a streaming release on Prime Video on Dec. 10th

Running Time: 108 minutes

Directed By: Michael Pearce

Review: ‘The Power of the Dog’

By

Kevin Finnerty

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December 2, 2021

Benedict Cumberbatch and Jesse Plemons in ‘The Power of the Dog’ (Photo Credit: Kirsty Griffin/Netflix © 2021)

Benedict Cumberbatch and Jesse Plemons star as brothers who own a Montana cattle ranch but couldn’t be more different in the Western drama, The Power of the Dog. The film is set in 1925 and begins at the conclusion of a successful cattle drive, a time that should be one of celebration but turns out life-altering for the Burbank brothers.

Phil (Cumberbatch) and his brother, George (Plemons), join their ranch hands for a feast at the Red Mill restaurant at the conclusion of their annual cattle drive. When Phil bullies and insults Rose (Kirsten Dunst), the widowed owner of the establishment, and her son, Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee), to amuse himself and entertain his men, the kind-hearted George ends up comforting the distressed widow. He later rebukes his brother for his awful behavior.

George finds himself drawn to Rose and quickly decides to marry her and bring her home to the family’s ranch. This infuriates Phil who sees her as a dividing wedge between him and George.

Phil finds different ways to taunt Rose, including playing the same tune on his banjo that she tries but fails to play on George’s piano in preparation for an important dinner party. He also tosses sneers and disparaging comments her way whenever he can.

When Peter arrives at the ranch during the summer school break Rose fears Phil will find ways to ridicule and degrade him. At first, Phil does encourage his hired hands to bully and dismiss Peter whenever the young man is nearby. But gradually Phil starts to see something in Peter and takes him under his wing, teaching him how to ride a horse and even making him a lasso from rawhide. As Phil and Peter appear to start to bond and become mentor and student, Rose fears she’s losing her son to her worst enemy.

Written and directed by Jane Campion (The Piano, In the Cut), The Power of the Dog is a melodramatic Western that features a stellar performance by Benedict Cumberbatch but suffers greatly from sluggish pacing. Cumberbatch infuses the film with both energy and tension with his portrayal of the volatile, rugged, and boorish Phil Burbank who seems hellbent on ruining his brother’s marriage and driving Rose to her breaking point. It’s Cumberbatch’s performance that raises the film to an almost watchable level.

Jesse Plemons is pitch-perfect as George, the respectable, low-key, and dignified businessman who knows how to be a boss, a rancher, and how to impress and interact with the higher-class citizens of the state, including the governor. The only problem with Plemons’ performance is that in this particular film the chemistry’s missing between him and his real-life partner Kirsten Dunst which makes their scenes onscreen seem uncomfortable and forced.

The cinematography, production design, and costumes are extremely effective in bringing 1925 Montana to life up on the big screen. Unfortunately, the film’s unbearably ponderous pacing means many scenes are drawn out and seem to move slower than a snail’s pace. The second and third acts are especially sluggish. It’s only late in the film when Phil begins to become Peter’s mentor that The Power of the Dog picks up the pace and becomes interesting.

Despite a remarkable performance by Benedict Cumberbatch and a solid first and final act, what could have been a much more intense and suspenseful film is bogged down by a painfully stagnant pace.

GRADE: C

MPAA Rating:R (Full Nudity|Brief Sexual Content)

Release Date: November 17, 2021 limited theatrical release, Dec. 1st on Netflix

Running Time: 2 hours 7 minutes

‘The Resident’ Season 5 Episode 10 Photos, Plot, Promo Video, and Cast

By

Rebecca Murray

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December 1, 2021

Fox’s The Resident season five episode 10, which serves as the winter finale, will find Conrad out in the field as part of the Flight Go team. Episode 10 – “Unknown Origin” – will air on Tuesday, December 7, 2021 at 8pm ET/PT.

Season five stars Matt Czuchry as Dr. Conrad Hawkins, Malcolm-Jamal Warner as Dr. AJ Austin, Bruce Greenwood as Dr. Randolph Bell, Jane Leeves as Dr. Kit Voss, and Manish Dayal is Dr. Devon Pravesh. Jessica Lucas plays Dr. Billie Sutton, Anuja Joshi is Dr. Leela Devi, and Miles Fowler is Trevor.

“Unknown Origin” Plot: When the first day of Kit’s experimental Flight Go team program sends Conrad out into the field, he builds a new relationship with a fellow doctor along for the ride. Devon works with Trevor for the first time on a patient with a mysterious fever, the cause of which can’t be found.

Meanwhile, Bell is hiding a secret from the whole staff and they are starting to become suspicious.

The Season 5 Plot, Courtesy of Fox:

Entering its fifth season, The Resident continues to shine a light on the daily heroism of our health care workers. The provocative medical drama follows the doctors and nurses at Chastain Memorial Hospital as they face personal and professional challenges and fight for their patients’ health.

Season four saw a multitude of highs and lows as the heroes at Chastain struggled to overcome the impossible, including the unprecedented and devastating Covid-19 pandemic. Now, in a propulsive and emotional season five, the ante is upped, as the doctors continue to save patients and fight corruption in the healthcare system, this time with a partner. The alliance with Big Pharma that found a cure for sickle cell disease last season proves in season five to be a very sharp double-edged sword.

The season kicks off when a mysterious ransomware attack threatens the hospital, and DR. DEVON PRAVESH (Dayal) and Chastain’s recently appointed CEO, DR. KIT VOSS (Leeves), must make high-stakes, split-second decisions with lives in the balance. Meanwhile, DR. CONRAD HAWKINS (Czuchry) and NURSE PRACTITIONER NICOLETTE NEVIN’s (Emily VanCamp) attempts to navigate parenthood, marriage and work-life balance take a shocking turn when Conrad is forced to make a life-changing choice that will alter the course of their family forever.

After the unwanted arrival of DR. BILLIE SUTTON’s (Lucas) biological son, she is forced to confront her past head-on in hopes of healing. Luckily, she’ll have help with the emergence of a new friendship – and rivalry – with DR. AJ AUSTIN (Malcolm-Jamal Warner), who unknowingly takes an interest in Billie’s son, TREVOR (Fowler). Elsewhere, a wrench is thrown in the plans of DR. LEELA DEVI (Joshi), when an unannounced visitor threatens her new relationship, and DR. RANDOLPH BELL (Greenwood) moves forward with a surprising love interest.

A new wrinkle five episodes into the season will challenge audience expectations and reveal new truths about our characters. Old relationships will be tested, new ones formed, and the emergence of a widespread Medicare fraud scheme ensures Chastain will never be the same.

The Resident Season 5 Episode 10 — Matt Czuchry with guest stars Nelcie Souffrant and Kaley Ronayne in ‘The Resident’ season 5 episode 10 (Photo by Nathan Bolster © 2021 Fox Media LLC)

Camila Cabello Joins Michael Bublé for His New Christmas Special

By

Rebecca Murray

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December 1, 2021

Michael Buble Christmas in the City — “Michael Bublé’s Christmas in the City” Poster (Photo by: NBC)

Michael Buble’s returning to NBC to spread holiday cheer with his 2021 Christmas special, Michael Buble’s Christmas in the City. Bublé’s new music-filled special was filmed at Studio 8H in Rockefeller Center and is set to air on Monday, December 6th at 10pm ET/PT.

The Grammy Award-winning artist will be joined by Camila Cabello, Leon Bridges, Jimmy Fallon, Kermit the Frog, and Hannah Waddingham. The special will feature musical performances and comedy sketches, with Michael Bublé helping ring in the holidays with classic holiday songs backed by a 48-piece orchestra.

This year’s special marks the 10th anniversary of Bublé’s Christmas album. Warner/Reprise Records is celebrating the anniversary with the release of a Super Deluxe Limited Edition Box set that includes a 7-track bonus CD. The popular crooner will also release a new studio album next spring.

“I’m especially excited about this year’s show and our phenomenal guests,” said Bublé. “It will be a night to remember and I can’t wait to celebrate with everyone.”

Lorne Michaels, Michael Bublé, Bruce Allen, Erin Doyle, and Tom Corson are executive producers on Michael Bublé’s Christmas in the City.

Anne Rice’s ‘Mayfair Witches’ Earns a Series Order from AMC Networks

By

Rebecca Murray

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December 1, 2021

AMC Networks confirmed they are moving forward on a series based on Anne Rice’s Lives of the Mayfair Witches trilogy. The network’s greenlit Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches, the second project to spring from the deal AMC Networks made to obtain the rights to Anne Rice’s work. The deal consists of 18 titles from Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles and Mayfair Witches franchises.

Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches is expected to premiere on AMC+ and AMC in late 2022.

The eight-episode first season will be produced by AMC Studios and has Esta Spalding (Masters of Sex, On Becoming a God in Central Florida) and Michelle Ashford (Masters of Sex, The Pacific) on board as executive producers and writers. Spalding is also attached as showrunner.

“2022 will be the biggest year for original programming in the history of our company, and we are literally over the moon that it will now include the first two series in an expanding Anne Rice universe built around stories and characters that have captivated millions of fans around the world,” stated Dan McDermott, president of entertainment and AMC Studios for AMC Networks. “We are also extremely fortunate to have such talented storytellers as Esta and Michelle guiding this adaptation, which will follow the first season of Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire late next year.”

Rice’s The Lives Of The Mayfair Witches trilogy consists of The Witching Hour, Lasher, and Taltos. Per AMC Networks, Mayfair Witches “will focus on an intuitive young neurosurgeon who discovers that she is the unlikely heir to a family of witches. As she grapples with her newfound powers, she must contend with a sinister presence that has haunted her family for generations.”

“The world of witches has fascinated and terrified for centuries, and yet Anne Rice’s particular lens on witches explored something new altogether – women who are powerful, and often brutal, and always committed to subverting our current power structures,” said Spalding and Ashford. “We are so excited to join our partners AMC and Gran Via Productions in making this mysterious and provocative world come to life.”

“With the cornucopia of rich characters, worlds, and stories that Anne Rice has given millions upon millions of readers around the world, AMC now has the privilege of creating a multitude of fascinating, entertaining, and very distinct television series,” said television producer Mark Johnson who oversees development of the Anne Rice collection. “My good fortune as an executive producer of Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire has now been more than doubled with what Esta Spalding and Michelle Ashford are imagining with The Mayfair Witches. While both shows couldn’t be more different, they nevertheless find themselves bound under the same bewitching and engaging umbrella.”

Anne Rice and her son, Christopher, are involved in all series and film adaptations as executive producers.

Trevor Noah Will Return to Host the 2022 Grammy Awards

By

Rebecca Murray

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December 1, 2021

Trevor Noah Hosts 2022 Grammy Awards — Trevor Noah will host the 63rd ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS (Photo: Michael Schwartz © 2021 CBS Broadcasting, Inc.)

Emmy Award-winner Trevor Noah is either a glutton for punishment or actually enjoyed his 2021 Grammy Awards hosting gig. Either way, Noah’s agreed to return to host The 64th Annual Grammy Awards scheduled for Monday, January 31, 2022.

The 2022 Grammys will take place at the Staples Center (soon to be renamed Crypto.com Arena) in Los Angeles and will air live on CBS beginning at 8pm ET/5pm PT.

“Trevor brought his trademark talent and versatility to last March’s Grammys, and we can’t wait for him to host the event on CBS and Paramount+ again this year,” stated George Cheeks, President and CEO, CBS and Chief Content Officer, News & Sports, Paramount+.

“Trevor was amazing as our host for the 63rd Grammy Awards with praise from the music community, music fans and critics,” said Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy. “We’re so excited to welcome Trevor back to the Grammys stage and feel fortunate to once again have him hosting what we believe will be an unforgettable evening.”

Jon Batiste tops the list of nominees with 11 followed by Justin Bieber, Doja Cat, and H.E.R. with eight. Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo picked up seven nominations each. The 2022 Grammys marks the first year there are 10 nominees rather than eight in the Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year, Song Of The Year, and Best New Artist categories.

Hamish Hamilton will return to direct the 2022 Grammys and executive producer Raj Kapoor will handle showrunning duties.

2022 Grammy Awards Nominees

‘FBI’ Season 4 Episode 8 Photos, Video, Cast and Plot Details

By

Rebecca Murray

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December 1, 2021

CBS’s FBI returns after a lengthy break with season four episode eight, an episode that finds the team hunting down the leader of a terrorist group. Directed by Sharat Raju from a script by Rick Eid, episode eight will air on Tuesday, December 7, 2021 at 8pm ET/PT.

Missy Peregrym stars as Special Agent Maggie Bell, Zeeko Zaki is Special Agent Omar Adom ‘OA’ Zidan, and Jeremy Sisto plays Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jubal Valentine. The season four cast also includes Alana De La Garza as Special Agent in Charge Isobel Castille, John Boyd as Special Agent Stuart Scola, and Katherine Renee Turner as Special Agent Tiffany Wallace.

“Fire and Rain” Plot: The team attempts to extract key information from a vulnerable 9/11 widow, Hannah Thompson (Janel Moloney), who is shocked that her new “boyfriend” is the manipulative leader of a terrorist group planning an attack. Also, Scola is reminded of his brother’s death on 9/11, and Tiffany worries about his emotional choices during the investigation.