Ink | Through the Shattered Lens

As you look over my latest Oscar predictions, you may notice that I’ve dropped two films that I originally had listed as major contenders. Disclosure Day opened to mixed reviews and it really seems to have vanished from the cultural conversation in the wake of the release of The Odyssey. Digger has not opened yet but I just get the feeling that this is going to be another pretentious Alejandro Iñárritu film. Whenever anyone mentions the previous victory of Birdman, it always seems to be done with a slight bit of embarrassment. I think Iñárritu’s time as an Oscar favorite might be over.

These predictions below are based on what’s been released, what will be playing at the major festivals, which trailers generated excitement (hello I Play Rocky!), which films are most likely to appeal to the Academy’s political biases (hello Ink and The Social Reckoning) and, as always, a lot of wishful thinking on my part. (Hello I Play Rocky again!)

To see how my thinking has or has not evolved, check out my picks for March, April, May, and June!

Best Picture

The Adventures of Cliff Booth

Being Heumann

The Debut

Dune: Part Three

Fjord

Ink

The Odyssey

Project Hail Mary

The Social Reckoning

Wild Horse Nine

Best Director

David Fincher for The Adventures of Cliff Booth

Phil Lord and Christopher Miller for Project Hail Mary

Cristian Mungiu for Fjord

Christopher Nolan for The Odyssey

Denis Villeneuve for Dune: Part Three

Best Actor

David Corenswet in Mr. Irrelevant

Ryan Gosling in Project Hail Mary

Anthony Ippolito in I Play Rockly

John Malkovich in Wild Horses

Robert Pattinson in Primetime

Best Actress

Ellen Burstyn in Place To Be

Sandra Huller in Fatherland

Ruth Madeley in Being Heumann

Julianne Moore in The Debut

Renate Reinsve in Fjord

Best Supporting Actor

Steve Buscemi in Wild Horse Nine

Matt Dillon in I Play Rocky

Paul Giamatti in The Debut

Guy Pearce in Ink

Jeremy Strong in The Social Reckoning

Best Supporting Actress

Pamela Anderson in Place To Be

Anne Hathaway in The Odyssey

Samantha Morton in The Odyssey

Parker Posey in Wild Hose Nine

AnnaSophia Robb in I Play Rocky

In this work of Interactive Fiction, you take on the role of someone who has just lost their fiancé. You are in mourning and trying to figure out how you can go on with your life even though you’ve lost your reason for living. Staying at home doesn’t help. Going to work doesn’t help. Seeing a therapist doesn’t help. Religion has failed. Group therapy provides only momentary relief.

Then, you find an envelope, addressed to you and in her handwriting. You find the envelope under a park bench that the two of you used to frequent. Unable to open it, you leave it on the mantle next to the wedding invites that you’ll never get to send. (Come on, that’s a powerful image.) Sometimes, the ink on the envelope seems to move, as if the envelope itself is alive. Will you find the courage to open the envelope and see what is inside?

Ink is an enigmatic but intriguing work of Interactive Fiction. I would hesitate to call it a game. It’s a short story that comes with a few options. You can try to make different choices each time that you play but it seems like the story is fated to always reach the same conclusion, no matter how many detours you try to take. The letter, much like mourning, cannot be escaped no matter how much you try. The story is well-written and captures the feeling of being in deep mourning. The inescapable ending carries enough of a kick to stick with you afterwards.

Play Ink