Little Gold Men by Vanity Fair

Michael B. Jordan is so busy right now he'd actually benefit from having a twin to help lighten the workload. The actor, a self-proclaimed workaholic, is nominated for his first Oscar for his performance as twin brothers in Ryan Coogler's Sinners, and he's also in post-production on a project he's both directing and starring in, The Thomas Crown Affair. Rebecca caught up with him after the Academy Nominees Luncheon to talk about why Sinners was the hardest role of his career, how therapy has helped him as an actor, and how he protects his personal life. Plus, he answers a slew of rapid-fire questions about movies and filmmaking.

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This week, John, Rebecca, and Hillary preview the 5 films nominated for Best International Feature: The Secret Agent (Brazil), It Was Just An Accident (France), Sentimental Value (Norway), Sirāt (Spain), and The Voice of Hind Rajab (Tunisia). They recap their favorites and evaluate each film's chance in the race. Plus, they explain why more and more non-English-language films have been breaking into other categories at the Oscars in the last few years.

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This week, Rebecca and John take a pause from this year's Oscar races to dish about Emerald Fennell's buzzy, divisive, and tongue-forward "Wuthering Heights". Then, VF Staff Writer Chris Murphy joins to break down why sexy TV shows like Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette and Heated Rivalry have captured our imagination and created rabid fan bases for its stars. They also discuss how the Academy has historically rewarded (or not) depictions of romance and sexuality, and whether there might be an imbalance in the accolades.

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The Secret Agent has broken through the Oscar conversation in a big way: the Brazilian film is nominated not only for Best International Feature, but also Best Picture, Best Casting, and, of course, Best Actor, for Wagner Moura's indelible performance. Rebecca caught up with Moura a few weeks after his historic nomination to talk about the film and how he sees himself and his politics in the character he plays. He also discusses his upcoming directorial project and plays a round of Proust Roulette.

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John, Rebecca, and Hillary discuss last week's California Post story about an alleged incident on the set of Josh and Benny Safdie's Good Time (2017), and debate whether the news will affect Marty Supreme's Oscar chances. They also look back at Oscars scandals and whisper campaigns of the recent past, from Emilia Perez to Shakespeare in Love, and consider how social media has influenced the race over the years.
Read Rebecca's piece about the story on vanityfair.com.

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