

You’re not going to watch the Oscars telecast on Sunday night, and I don’t blame you: Leftist Doctrine has infiltrated the movie industry to the degree that there is no business but woke business. Nonetheless, I’ve briefly reviewed the eight nominated films, and some others:
The United States vs Billie Holiday
This film is captivating. On par with Renée Zellweger in Judy, singer Andra Day in the title role, is quite convincing. Along with Carrie Mulligan, in Promising Young Woman, I think she shares the lead for the best female actor award.
As with four of the other nominated movies for the April 25 telecast, in arguably the worst line-up of nominated films in Oscar history, the upshot is the same: All white men are bad, all black people are exploited.
Trending on PolitiCrossing.com: Antifa is back in force
Judas and the Black Messiah
Starring the British Daniel Kaluuya, and Lakeith Stanfield, both of whom who have excellent futures in the movies, Judas and the Black Messiah is a surprise despite the ultra-clunky title. I was expecting a heavy philosophical overlay of how the Black Panthers’ experience then, somehow translates to Black Lives Matter today.
Indeed, 300+ movie reviewers fervently want to connect the two experiences but they differ vastly: 50 to 55 years ago the FBI, Chicago Police, and other police departments were verifiably hostile to black people. Today, the FBI knowingly and blatantly shields Black Live Matters crimes, be it rioting, looting, mayhem, and even murder.
While a handful of regrettable “death by cop” cases arise each year, in general, police are not out to get black people, who are given more leeway and understanding than anyone from the 1960s could presume. And minority officers now represent 40% or more of many city police departments.
Of note: Martin Sheen hits a new low, not helped by the makeup director, playing an unconvincing J. Edgar Hoover.
The Trial of the Chicago Seven
Although it take liberties with the actual events, this is a reasonably good movie with many excellent supporting cast members, good pacing, and humor, and is worth viewing. Afterward, look up the fact and fiction within the film.
Minari
Set in the 1980s in rural Arkansas, Minari offers an endearing portrayal of what one generation does for the next, as viewed within a single family, in this case, Korean immigrants. This film is garnering rave reviews from every quarter. The ensemble cast performs well, led by Yuh-Jung Youn who adds spark and verve.
The Father
Starring Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Coleman, and Olivia Williams, The Father is a 93-minute movie that is 63 minutes too long. You could watch the first 15 minutes and the last 15 minutes and be no less informed.
We should all be thankful if our parents, or our future selves, do not suffer from the level of dementia portrayed here: He can’t recall what happened yesterday, sometimes an hour ago, and sometimes minutes ago.
The film shows reality from the father’s perspective, which is a constant jangle of dates, times, people, situations, and places; and the reality of those around him who have to deal with his constant ramblings, false assertions, obstinance, proud declarations, and outright inaccuracies. Save time, watch the trailer and read a long review.
Mank
Gary Oldman and Amanda Seyfried star in this biopic about Hollywood screenwriter Frank Mankiewicz. Strattling the 1930s and 40s, while penning Citizen Kane, ‘Mank’ has a fondness for alcohol and for saying whatever he thinks.
Charles Dance, as the preeminent but affable William Randolph Hearst is notable. This is an insider’s movie for the thankfully shrinking number of people who know or care about Hollywood.
Nomadland
Starring Frances McDormand, Nomadland offers a view of the American west and people who choose to no longer have permanent roots. The film presents one brief encounter after another, moving to the next scene, and the next.
It does impart the sense of loneliness and in some cases emptiness of the people who have chosen this lifestyle and so is somewhat engaging while watching it, but otherwise totally skippable.
McDormand has been nominated for an Oscar, however, this is not among her best. The film itself is regarded as profound by many reviewers, but then so was The Shape of Water and Roma (!)
Promising Young Woman
With Carey Mulligan, in an Oscar worthy turn, this movie represents a new step in her acting career. Without giving away any of the plot, it is both compelling and lingering.
Produced by Margot Robbie, who seems to have a knack for the zeitgiest, you really can’t forget this movie.
Sound of Metal
An inside and gripping portrayal of what it’s like to go deaf, as experienced by a drummer for a heavy metal band. Rapper and now actor, Riz Ahmed, in the lead role, offers moments of denial, rebellion, and poignancy.
Not nominated, fittingly, is this film:
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
This forgettable movie, nominated for several acting Oscars no less, is as revolting as its regrettable title, surprising for a film produced by Denzel Washington. The makeup and wardrobe to make Viola Davis look 40 pounds heavier and decades older is ridiculous.
The first 20 minutes of the film is nearly unwatchable, like a bad Eugene O’Neill play, all staged-dialogue, in one room. As the braggadocio horn player, the non-stop banter by the late Chaz Boseman, to whom the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will posthumously award an Oscar, is simply irritating.
The use of blatant stereotypes – black and white – in this ‘woke era’ is mindboggling: Ma’s white manager is a milquetoast, the recording studio owner is exploitative, the Klansmen (only referred to in a soliloquy by Bozeman) vicious, Ma’s niece is promiscuous, the black band members are accommodating, etc.
Finally, here is one movie that is an under-seen gem:
The Courier
Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, this is a Cold War era spy movie, par excellence, a bit reminiscent of the German film, The Lives of Others. Overlooked by the ridiculously woke AMPAS, and probably way too subtle, The Courier is a great movie, easily among the best five pictures of the year, if not the best.
A friend said, “Loved The Courier. It deserves consideration especially with the unpatriotic events unfolding.” And I replied, “but woke Hollywood would object to the less-than-vocal wives and to no minorities in the film. So it had no chance to be nominated for an Oscar.”
– – – – –
We'd love to hear your thoughts about this article. Please take a minute to share them in the comment section by clicking here. Or carry the conversation over on your favorite social network by clicking one of the share buttons below.
Join the conversation!
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.
Business
Smart Move in a Rough Economy: Help Your Boss to Shine
Stay on top of your job, your department’s goals, and your company’s objectives
Making your boss look good can only reflect favorably on you. Both your boss and his or her supervisors will appreciate this.
The best way to make your boss look good is to handle your work efficiently and thoroughly. If your boss is fair, he or she will give you credit for the work, increasing your chances of promotion.
If your boss is not doing his or her share of the work, leaning on you unfairly without giving you the credit, it’s still likely that you’ll be promoted when your boss is promoted. That person knows you’ve been doing more than your share, and he or she won’t be able to take a new position without your help.
Trending on PolitiCrossing.com: Antifa is back in force
Becoming a Mentor to Others
Maybe you’re only 27 years old, or perhaps you’ve only been with your present firm for a year and a half. Yet, with your previous experience and achievements, you may already be in a position to serve as a mentor to junior members of your organization. This can be accomplished on an informal, ad hoc basis, and you can literally choose the amount of energy you’re willing to commit. Helping junior members always looks good to those above you, especially at performance review time.
Stay on top of your job, your department’s goals, and your company’s objectives. This three-way strategy includes reviewing your job description, deciding precisely what your department’s goals are, and determining your company’s objectives:
Your Job Description
First, knowing your job description and honoring it, or amending it if necessary, protect you from any misunderstandings. It will also give you an idea of the part you play in the total picture of the organization, an important factor in your work satisfaction and chance of promotion.
Your job description ideally contains all the important activities of your position, the knowledge you need to have or acquire to perform those activities, and some sense of your overall role. If your job description does not adequately detail the information you need to know and the responsibilities you have, now is the time to change it.
Company Goals
Second, learn and understand the goals of your part of the company. By whatever method your organization is broken into groups — department, division, project team — your group has objectives.
Goals are important to guide actions as well as to mark milestones. Knowing your group’s goals will help you to set priorities for your own work and make wise decisions concerning how jobs can best be done.
What is the Mission?
Finally, be aware of your organization’s mission. Any organization, from the smallest business to the multibillion-dollar corporation, has a mission. If you don’t already know it, find out. Your organization’s brochure, annual report, promotional literature, or employee handbook will have the mission spelled out.
The mission will unify and give meaning to all the division or department goals. Although conflicts among divisions will occur because of the nature of different responsibilities, a solid base can be produced when all employees realize the overall mission of the organization.
– – – – –
News
Leftist ‘Journalists’ and Media Outlets: Quite Far From Impartial and Objective
The Left grants free passes to Joe Biden for his legions of treasonous, immoral, and illegal transgressions.
Hollywood loves to portray leftist media outlets, newspapers, and journalists as fair and impartial. Indeed, there is no other way that these institutions and such individuals have been portrayed, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. A recent example is the movie She Said, which is the latest in a long line of productions that extol the virtues of one of the nation’s oldest newspapers, the New York Times.
Starring Carey Mulligan, Zoe Kavan, Patricia Clarkson, Andre Braugher, and Ashley Judd, as herself, She Said is a story about the New York Times investigation of Harvey Weinstein. Some of the heartfelt testimony of the people the reporters interviewed are quite touching. Yet, the movie oversells the impact of the Times reporting. Investigative reporter Ronan Farrow had already published a major, professional, factual expose on Weinstein in the New Yorker.
Impartial, Caring, Concerned People?
She Said goes out of its way to present the New York Times editorial staff as carefully line-editing stories, and as impartial, caring, concerned people, interested only in truth and in getting articles right before publishing them. A major case in point is how veteran actor Andre Braugher portrays Dean Baquet, who served as the executive editor of Times from May 2014 to June 2022. Baquet is depicted as the voice of reason, proceeding with calm, cool clarity.
Trending on PolitiCrossing.com: Antifa is back in force
In reality, Baquet is one of the major players on earth who kept the now thoroughly-debunked ‘Trump Collusion with Russia’ hoax alive and along with Adam Schiff did major damage to this country. For three years, and without evidence, pretty much daily the Times falsely claimed that Donald Trump’s presidential campaign colluded with Russia to steal the 2016 election.
The hopelessly biased Baquet decided to switch gears after the Mueller Report imploded. At Baquet’s direction, the Times would shift its focus of its coverage from the ‘Trump-Russia affair’ to the president’s ‘alleged racism.’
Not a Journalist, in Any Way
“We built our newsroom to cover one story, and we did it truly well,” Baquet said, rather proudly, apparently grossly unaware of the historically profound idiocy of his statement. “Now we have to regroup, and shift resources and emphasis to take on a different story.” A truthful story?
Through daily erroneous reporting, the ‘newspaper of record’ would now seek to expose ‘the racism’ of President Trump, which, to this day, it has not proven.
Baquet is not a journalist in any sense of the word; not even close. He is a shill of the Democrat party; what Vladimir Lenin termed a ‘useful idiot.’ Keep this in mind as you watch this otherwise engaging movie, and then ask yourself this: Where is the Times in relation to Joe Biden?
Baquet remained in his post for the first 17 months of the Biden administration. While the Times and the Left in general are perpetually eager to identify, dissect, catalog, and endlessly detail the faults of Donald Trump (real, imagined, or most concocted out of whole cloth), they deny or downplay a mountain of misdeeds by Joe Biden, as they also did with Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and Hillary Clinton.
Lifetime Free Passes
Many pundits now exclaim that to block Biden from running in 2024, the Times and the leftist media machine in general have now turned on him. The current classified documents scandal aside, the Left grants free passes to Joe Biden for the legions of transgressions in his life. They overlook or downplay that he cheated in college, cheated in previous political campaigns, is a serial liar, and worse. All of this well-documented. They ignore, contort, or censor news that he has made legions of racist statements for his whole political career; e.g., “If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black.”
The Left belittles or ignores Tara Reade’s quite credible sexual assault accusation against Joe Biden, and that of seven other women, as well. They pretend that Creepy Uncle Joe does not have a fetish for sniffing little girls’ hair. They pretend that Biden does not constantly invade the personal space of females.
The Left ignores solid reporting and extensive documentation indicating the Biden family received millions of dollars via influence peddling to Communist China, as well as from Kazakhstan, Romania, Russia, and, above all, Ukraine. They will never acknowledge that Biden is an enabler for both his brother James and his son Hunter, and that Biden is credibly accused of selling out the U.S. They excuse the multiple batches of classified documents found recently in Biden’s domains.
Above it All
The Left especially avoids referring to any signs that Biden is suffering from ever-worsening dementia, despite his numerous mental lapses on the world stage.
In short, prior to the ever-growing classified documents scandal, leftist journalists and media outlets, constantly demonstrated how far they are from being impartial and objective. They had, defacto, deemed Democrat Joe Biden to be above the law, and now are actively undermining his continuing political aspirations.
– – – – –
-
Faith1 week ago
Why Do Smart People Believe the Lies? Here is the Answer!
-
Society & Culture1 week ago
The potential horrors of AI
-
Politics1 week ago
What The January 6 Videos Will Show!
-
Society & Culture1 week ago
How AI will destroy humanity
-
Faith1 week ago
Who is the Real Enemy?
-
Faith1 week ago
Is This the Secret to Saving America?
-
News1 week ago
Mini-Movie Reviews, 4
-
Faith1 week ago
Tired? Hopeless? Discouraged? Read This.