"For me the reward has been all of it. Just getting the script done was a type of reward, my crew together was a type of reward, getting everybody to come to New Orleans, getting to share the screenplay, I shared it with Rosemary like I always do, getting good feedback from her. And then showing the movie to audiences, which is the biggest reward I could ask for," Coogler said.
At present, the mantelpiece of Paul Thomas Anderson remains strikingly light on major trophies. Despite being responsible for some of the films widely acknowledged to be the best of the century so far, including There Will Be Blood, The Master and Magnolia, the writer-director is yet to win an Oscar, Golden Globe or more than one Bafta (original screenplay for 2021's Licorice Pizza).
If Hailee Steinfeld were a water animal, she would be a dolphin. On a recent afternoon in Tribeca, Steinfeld and I are sitting on the rooftop of Fouquet's, the boutique French hotel, as I'm subjecting her to a rapid-fire version of my favorite dinner party game, called Essence. The idea is to discover the true "essence" of a person through a series of questions.
In Venice, Telluride and Toronto, the red carpets have been rolled up and the dust has settled on the film festivals which traditionally function as Oscar launchpads. Back in Hollywood, publicists are recalibrating campaigns and pundits are placing their bets on the big films and performances of the upcoming awards season. A few key contenders are still yet to be seen, but at this stage of the race, one thing seems clear: come next March, records will be broken.
Ryan and I first connected last year because he discovered my Mississippi Delta Chinese doc for AJ+ and was inspired to include the community in Sinners after his father-in-law learned that he had Delta Chinese ancestors.
