Tag Archives: Gia Coppola

Here Are The 2024 Nominations of the Alliance of Women Film Journalists!

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Alliance of Women Film Journalists have announced their nominations for the best of 2024!  And here they are:

BEST FILM 
ANORA
CONCLAVE
EMILIA PÉREZ
NICKEL BOYS
SING SING
THE BRUTALIST
THE SUBSTANCE
WICKED

BEST DIRECTOR
JACQUES AUDIARD – EMILIA PÉREZ
SEAN BAKER – ANORA
EDWARD BERGER – CONCLAVE
BRADY CORBET – THE BRUTALIST
CORALIE FARGEAT – THE SUBSTANCE
PAYAL KAPADIA – ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT

BEST SCREENPLAY, ORIGINAL
ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT – PAYAL KAPADIA
ANORA – SEAN BAKER
A REAL PAIN – JESSE EISENBERG
HARD TRUTHS – MIKE LEIGH
THE SUBSTANCE – CORALIE FARGEAT
THE BRUTALIST – BRADY CORBET AND MONA FASTVOLD

BEST SCREENPLAY, ADAPTED
CONCLAVE – PETER STRAUGHAN, ROBERT HARRIS
EMILIA PÉREZ – JACQUES AUDIARD, THOMAS BIDEGAIN, LEA MYSIUS
NICKEL BOYS – RaMell ROSS, JOSLYN BARNES, COLSON WHITEHEAD
NOSFERATU – ROBERT EGGERS
SING SING – JOHN H. RICHARDSON, BRENT BUELL, CLINT BENTLEY
THE WILD ROBOT – CHRIS SANDERS, PETER BROWN

BEST DOCUMENTARY
BLACK BOX DIARIES – SHIDORI ITO
DAHOMEY – MATI DIOP
DAUGHTERS – ANGELA PATTON, NATALIE RAE
THE LAST OF THE SEA WOMEN – SUE KIM
SUGARCANE – EMILY KASSIE, JASON BRAVE NOISECAT
WILL & HARPER – JOSH GREENBAUM

BEST ANIMATED FILM
FLOW
HUNDREDS OF BEAVERS
INSIDE OUT 2
MEMOIR OF A SNAIL
THE WILD ROBOT
WALLACE & GROMIT: VENGEANCE MOST FOWL

BEST ACTRESS
CYNTHIA ERIVO – WICKED
KARLA SOFIA GASCON – EMILIA PÉREZ
MARIANNE JEAN-BAPTISTE – HARD TRUTHS
MIKEY MADISON – ANORA
DEMI MOORE – THE SUBSTANCE
JUNE SQUIBB – THELMA

BEST ACTRESS, SUPPORTING
JOAN CHEN – DIDI
DANIELLE DEADWYLER – THE PIANO LESSON
AUNJANUE ELLIS-TAYLOR – NICKEL BOYS
MARGARET QUALLEY – THE SUBSTANCE
ISABELLA ROSSELLINI – CONCLAVE
ZOE SALDANA – EMILIA PÉREZ

BEST ACTOR
ADRIEN BRODY – THE BRUTALIST
DANIEL CRAIG – QUEER
COLMAN DOMINGO – SING SING
RALPH FIENNES – CONCLAVE
HUGH GRANT – HERETIC
SEBASTIAN STAN – THE APPRENTICE

BEST ACTOR, SUPPORTING
YURA BORISOV – ANORA
KIERAN CULKIN – A REAL PAIN
CLARENCE MACLIN – SING SING
GUY PEARCE – THE BRUTALIST
STANLEY TUCCI – CONCLAVE
DENZEL WASHNGTON – GLADIATOR II

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST AND CASTING DIRECTOR
ANORA
CHALLENGERS
CONCLAVE
EMILIA PÉREZ
SATURDAY NIGHT
WICKED

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
CONCLAVE
DUNE: PART TWO
NICKEL BOYS
NOSFERATU
THE BRUTALIST
WICKED

BEST EDITING
ANORA
CONCLAVE
EMILIA PÉREZ
FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA
THE BRUTALIST
THE SUBSTANCE

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT
DAHOMEY
EMILIA PÉREZ
FLOW
LA CHIMERA
THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG

EDA FEMALE FOCUS AWARDS

EDA FEMALE FOCUS: BEST WOMAN DIRECTOR
ANDREA ARNOLD – BIRD
GIA COPPOLA – THE LAST SHOWGIRL
CORALIE FARGEAT – THE SUBSTANCE
PAYAL KAPADIA – ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT
MEGAN PARK – MY OLD ASS
ALICE ROHRWACHER – LA CHIMERA

EDA FEMALE FOCUS: BEST FEMALE SCREENWRITER
ANDREA ARNOLD – BIRD
CORALIE FARGEAT – THE SUBSTANCE
PAYAL KAPADIA – ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT
MEGAN PARK – MY OLD ASS
ALICE ROHRWACHER – LA CHIMERA
ERICA TREMBLAY, MICIANA ALISE – FANCY DANCE

EDA FEMALE FOCUS: BEST ANIMATED/VOICED PERFORMANCE
AYO EDEBIRI – INSIDE OUT 2
MAYA HAWKE – INSIDE OUT 2
LUPITA NYONG’O – THE WILD ROBOT
AMY POEHLER – INSIDE OUT 2
SARAH SNOOK – MEMOIR OF A SNAIL
JACKI WEAVER – MEMOIR OF A SNAIL

EDA FEMALE FOCUS: BEST WOMEN’S BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
NYKIYA ADAMS – BIRD
KARLA SOFIA GASCON – EMILIA PÉREZ
MIKEY MADISON – ANORA
KATY O’BRIAN – LOVE LIES BLEEDING
JUNE SQUIBB – THELMA
MAISY STELLA – MY OLD ASS

EDA FEMALE FOCUS: BEST STUNT PERFORMANCE
NIKKI BERWICK – STUNT COORDINATOR ON GLADIATOR II
ALEX JAY (for ZENDAYA) – DUNE: PART TWO
HAYLEY WRIGHT (for ANYA TAYLOR-JOY) – FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA
KATY O’BRIAN – LOVE LIES BLEEDING
CAILEE SPAENY – ALIEN: ROMULUS
JUNE SQUIBB – THELMA

Music Video of the Day: Where Do We Go Now? by Gracie Abrams (2023, dir by Gia Coppola)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

For today’s music video of the day, we have a music video directed by Gia Coppola!  Gia is the granddaughter of Francis Ford and the niece of Sofia and Roman.  She also directed one of my favorite films of the past ten years, Palo Alto.

Enjoy!

Film Review: Palo Alto (dir by Gia Coppola)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPW52cF7g1c

Palo Alto came out in May of last year and it never quite got as much attention as it deserved.  A lot of that is because the film is based on a collection of short stories by James Franco and a lot of critics apparently decided ahead of time that Palo Alto was some sort of vanity project.

Of course, nothing could be further from the truth.  Palo Alto is actually one of the better films of 2014, a minor masterpiece of ennui that also serves as a promising directorial debut for Gia Coppola.  (Of course, Gia’s aunt Sofia made her directorial debut with an ennui-centric literary adaptation of her own, The Virgin Suicides.)

Palo Alto follows several teenagers over the course of one school year.  (It’s no coincidence that, at one point, Fast Times At Ridgemont High shows up on a TV screen.)  The film itself is deceptively plotless, with its occasionally drifting narrative mirroring the lives of protagonists who literally have no direction.  April (Emma Roberts), who is too intelligent to really fit in with either her shallow friends or her flakey family, plays soccer and has a crush on both Teddy (Jack Kilmer) and her coach, Mr. B (James Franco, playing an unapologetically sleazy character).  Teddy is a talented artist who, after a drunk driving accident, finds himself on probation and sentenced to do community service.  Making it difficult for Teddy to stay out of trouble is his best friend, Fred (Nat Wolff), who hides his sociopathic nature behind a constant stream of jokes.  And then there’s Emily (Zoe Levin), who hides her insecurities behind a wall of blow jobs and demeaning sexual encounters.

As for the adults of Palo Alto, they’re for the most part a collection of grim but ineffective authority figures and parents who don’t want to grow up.  Mr. B hides his predatory nature behind a kind smile and a paternal nature.  April’s stepfather (Val Kilmer) is permanently stoned.  Teddy’s mother is unconcerned with her son’s drinking.  Meanwhile, Fred’s father (Chris Messina) offers weed to and hits on his son’s friends.

And it may all sound a bit familiar.  Every year, it seems like there is a countless number of indie films about directionless teenagers and irresponsible parents.  But Palo Alto is distinguished by Gia Coppola’s confident and frequently surreal direction.  Coppola has a good eye for detail and, as a result of the gorgeous cinematography of Autumn Durald, the film is always interesting to watch regardless of how familiar the story may seem.  The entire cast does a good job as well, with Emma Roberts and Nat Wolff as clear stand-outs.

And, I have to admit, that on a personal level, there was a lot of Palo Alto to which I related.  Whether it was the awkward conversations between April and Teddy or the sad look on Emily’s face as she stared at her reflection, there were so many small moments that just felt true.  As I watched Palo Alto, it was impossible for me not to think about my own time in high school.  I knew quite a few Teddys.  I even knew a few Freds.  And sometimes, I was April and then other times, I could have been any of the other characters who wander throughout Palo Alto.

Don’t listen to the haters.  Palo Alto is more than worth your time.