Movies Update: Let the Oscars voting begin

Plus, Denis Villeneuve and Timothée Chalamet talk "Dune: Part Two."

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story February 23, 2024 By Stephanie Goodman Film Editor Hi, movie fans! As I write this, academy members have just started voting on the Oscars (they have until Tuesday evening), and we're heading into a big awards season weekend with the Screen Actors Guild and the Producers Guild both set to hand out prizes. (The Indie Spirits will also take place this weekend but they generally don't have a lot of bearing on the Academy Awards.) Of course we will be covering the proceedings (here's a primer), but you may want to pay particular attention to the PGAs. As our awards season expert Kyle Buchanan has noted previously, since 2009, "when both groups adopted a preferential ballot and expanded the number of best film nominees from five, the PGA winner has repeated at the Oscars all but three times." In other words, if "Oppenheimer" wins over the producers, you can expect it to take the Academy Award for best picture. If the producers go with another film, all bets are off. How important is awards season to Hollywood? Danielle Brooks, who's nominated for best supporting actress for her turn as Sofia in "The Color Purple," was upfront in an interview with Buchanan: "If any actors tell you that they don't want to win, they're lying to you. We all want it, we're all competitive, that's the industry." That's not the only part of the industry we're paying attention to. Next week, "Dune: Part Two" arrives in theaters, and the writer Amy Nicholson had a delightful conversation with the film's director, Denis Villeneuve, and its star, Timothée Chalamet. Come for the discussion of perfectionist filmmaking; stay for their reaction to the infamous sandworm popcorn bucket. And whatever you end up watching, enjoy the movies! Chantal Anderson for The New York Times Denis Villeneuve and Timothée Chalamet: 'Dune' Dynasty With "Part Two" hitting theaters, they discuss another potential sequel, the impossible quest for onscreen perfection and those infamous popcorn buckets. By Amy Nicholson Working Title/Focus Features 'Drive-Away Dolls' Review: Ethan Coen's Sluggish Joyride Directing without his brother, Coen brings the usual mix of highbrow references and petty crimes, but this road movie just stalls out. By Manohla Dargis Sideshow/Janus Films Critic's Pick 'About Dry Grasses' Review: The Weariness of Hope The latest intimate epic from the master filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan asks whether the world can change, and we can change with it. By Alissa Wilkinson Prime, via Associated Press Critic's Notebook J. Lo and Behold: Is She for Real? "This Is Me … Now: A Love Story," a movie built on her latest album, is a showcase for the exhausting, never-ending, hazardous work of being Jennifer Lopez. By Wesley Morris Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT CRITICS' PICKS Samuel Dole/IFC Films/Shudder Critic's Pick 'Stopmotion' Review: Her Dark Materials A fraying animator becomes the victim of her own creations in this visually sophisticated horror movie. By Jeannette Catsoulis Kino Lorber Critic's Pick 'The Invisible Fight' Review: Iron Fist vs. Iron Curtain This action comedy set in the 1970s satisfyingly blends kung fu, heavy metal and Orthodox Christianity. By Amy Nicholson MOVIE REVIEWS Damir Sagolj/Screenocean, via Reuters Pictures 'Kiss the Future' Review: Seeing U2 in Post-Siege Sarajevo Nenad Cicin-Sain's smoothly calibrated documentary is part timeline of the concert's development and part testament to the city's defiance during the Bosnian War. By Nicolas Rapold Fiore Media Group 'Veselka' Review: Serving Up Support for Ukraine Subtitled "The Rainbow on the Corner at the Center of the World," this documentary offers a warm tribute to an East Village landmark. By Natalia Winkelman Javier Mariscal/Sony Pictures Classics 'They Shot the Piano Player' Review: Taking on a Bossa Nova Mystery The pianist Francisco Tenório Júnior, on tour in Argentina during the right-wing dictatorship of the 1970s, vanished. This animated feature picks up the trail. By Claire Shaffer Allen Fraser/Lionsgate 'Ordinary Angels' Review: A Hairdresser Turns Lifesaver When a 5-year-old girl's life is in danger if she doesn't get surgery urgently, help arrives from unexpected places. By Glenn Kenny Koyoharu Gotoge/SHUEISHA, Aniplex, ufotable 'Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — To the Hashira Training' Review: Monster Mash-Up The popular anime returns to the big screen in a somewhat lopsided feature presentation of two stand-alone episodes from the TV series. By Calum Marsh Jessica Oyelowo/Paramount+ 'Becoming King' Review: An Actor Marches On This documentary about Ava DuVernay's 2014 Martin Luther King drama "Selma" plays more like a David Oyelowo tribute than a proper look at the difficulties of making the film. By Beatrice Loayza Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ANATOMY OF A SCENE A24 Anatomy of a Scene How a Domestic Scene Creates Dread in 'The Zone of Interest' The director Jonathan Glazer narrates a sequence from his Holocaust drama. By Mekado Murphy NEWS & FEATURES Frances Carter for The New York Times The Projectionist Danielle Brooks Has an Oscar Nomination. So Why Is She in Mourning? As she tries to find her place in Hollywood, the "Color Purple" stage and screen star bids an emotional goodbye to a character she has lived with for nearly a decade. By Kyle Buchanan Devin Oktar Yalkin for The New York Times For Zelda Williams, Daughter of Robin, a Goth Zombie Comedy Is Cathartic As the director of "Lisa Frankenstein," she embraced a tale in which no one was concerned whether grief was palatable to others. By Melena Ryzik Nina Prommer/EPA, via Shutterstock Star Directors Buy Los Angeles Cinema With Plan for 'Coolest AV Club' Concerned about the future of moviegoing in the filmmaking capital, Jason Reitman and a group of distinguished directors purchased the historic Village Theater in Westwood. By Nicole Sperling Great Performers The Best, Weirdest, Wildest Performances of the Year Wesley Morris honors the year's performances with some awards of his own invention. By Wesley Morris Gordon Welters for The New York Times A Film Festival in the Back of a Taxi The TaxiFilmFest is partly a protest over the miserable state of Berlin's taxi industry. But it's also a celebration of the cab's iconic place in the urban cultural landscape. By Bryn Stole Mustafah Abdulaziz for The New York Times A Top Oscar Nominee, Uneasy in the Spotlight A best actress nomination changes everything — Sandra Hüller knows that. She just isn't sure that's a good thing. By Thomas Rogers Bettmann, via Getty Images Beatles Get a Biopic. A Fab Four of Them, Actually. The Oscar-winning filmmaker Sam Mendes was given full rights to the band's music and their life stories for the unusual quartet of films, planned for 2027. By Maya Salam Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS Reiner Bajo/Netflix Five Action Movies to Stream Now This month's picks include forlorn dads, Appalachian pulp and more. By Robert Daniels Annapurna Pictures Beyond the Algorithm 'Mister Organ,' 'Destroyer' and More Streaming Gems Con artists and ghost stories are among our recommendations from the subscription streaming services this month. By Jason Bailey Recorded Picture Company Critic's Notebook If You Liked 'Saltburn,' Consider This Much Better Movie "The Dreamers," Bernardo Bertolucci's notorious 2004 coming-of-age drama, pushes the same buttons, but it makes serious points along the way. By Beatrice Loayza MGM The 50 Best Movies on Max Right Now In addition to new Warner and HBO films, the streamer has a treasure trove of Golden Age classics, indie flicks and foreign films. Start with these. By Scott Tobias How are we doing? We'd love your feedback on this newsletter. Please email thoughts and suggestions to moviesupdate@nytimes.com. Like this email? Forward it to your friends, and let them know they can sign up here. Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Movies Update from The New York Times. To stop receiving Movies Update, unsubscribe. 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