A Bit to Read

So round again to Monday and somehow I managed to cut both thumbs on a tape measure, presumably at the same time. Meanwhile, we had a warning for a blizzard, after 60 degrees yesterday, and some of the schools closed today.

So far, not that much snow. It says it’s still snowing but I’m not seeing it.

Last night was the Oscars, and long gone are the days where I’d get myself all comfy and settle in, excited to watch, having seen most of the movies. Where looking at the dresses and catching a glimpse of the stars felt like an occasion.

That ended a long time ago.

It is an artifice built upon an artifice, a self-congratulatory extravaganza that declares to the world who is in and who is out.

And the patterns of those two groups are too clear to ignore.

Still I was hoping for Sinners to be recognized for elevation of art form that it is. It was in some ways; Autumn Durald Arkapaw is the first woman to win for cinematography, as well as the first Black person to win and the second Asian person to win; Ryan Coogler won best original screenplay; the film won best original score; and Michael B. Jordan won best actor for playing two (one friend pointed out it was actually three) roles so well, it took me half the movie to realize he was both twins.

But the wins themselves belie the problems with the whole institution.

That Autumn Durald Arkapaw is a complete groundbreaker in 2026 implies some serious gatekeeping, as does the fact that Ryan Coogler is only the second Black person to win best original screenplay (Jordan Peele was the first).

In the best actor category, Michael B. Jordan is the sixth Black man to win. This year was the 98th Oscars.

I haven’t seen the film that won best picture. I know it sounds like a whole lot films I’ve seen over the years, with established actors playing a whole lot of characters we’ve seen over the years. But it might be amazing.

I don’t know.

But.

I think Sinners didn’t win because it is art so original, so transcendent, it’s scary for an industry that relies on recycling for profit. During that dance number, I could hardly process what I was feeling with what I was seeing; it was as if I, as the viewer, was also transported out of time and space.

Even writing about it gives me the chills.

And maybe it’s because of what that film means, what it really says, the actual story it’s telling. In trying to pigeonhole it while watching, I called it an allegory and honestly I still think it’s the best description of it.

You can get through a viewing of Sinners and perhaps only see a film about vampires. You may ignore the meticulous attention to detail and layering of character and story. You may even gloss over the specific choices of time and place.

But.

It’s the kind of film that leads you to a bloody, awful truth, no matter how reluctant you are. And it does it in a truly spectacular way.

Again, the film that won might do that too. I’m unlikely to find out as the premise doesn’t appeal to me, and reading a bit more, it’s yet another film that involves a woman who is sexually assaulted. Apparently there’s a lot of debate about it, but the description makes it clear the woman is coerced into sex which is a form of assault.

The more I read, the less interested I am.

Anyway, that’s it for me on this Monday, this has gotten long enough. I hope you have a wonderful day.

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Check out  my full-length novels (affiliate links): 
Aunty Ida’s Full-Service Mental Institution (by Invitation Only)   
Aunty Ida’s Holey Amazing Sleeping Preparation (Not Doctor Recommended) 
Her Cousin Much Removed
The Great Paradox and the Innies and Outies of Time Management.
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