14 DAY TRIAL // You know it’s awards season when you get weird, atmospheric short films with some of the year’s biggest names in film. New York Times Magazine has released a series of such films, called “9 kisses,” featuring 18 of the actors who are getting the most Oscar buzz right now.
You will find all of them embedded below. In previous years, the NY Times did productions of this type with just one actor, but this year, it’s pairing them to create “intimate moments” that range from comedic to dramatic, heartbreaking, joyous, or just plain awkward.
Directed by Elaine Constantine, the series opens with two of the biggest names in film right now, British actor Benedict Cumberbatch and Reese Witherspoon, who are getting a lot of attention for their respective roles in “The Imitation Game” and “Wild.”
I love these two quite a lot and I’m sure they deserve all the attention and the Oscar buzz they’re getting, but their kiss has got to be the most awkward and least passionate smooch I’ve seen on screen (big or small) this year. The worst part is that it was supposed to look passionate and wild.
Also included are Chadwick Boseman and Kristen Stewart, Patricia Arquette and Jason Schwartzman, David Oyelowo and Timothy Spall, Jack O’Connell and Shailene Woodley, John Lithgow and Julianne Moore, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Miles Teller, Rosario Dawson and Jenny Slate, and Steve Carell and Laura Dern.
Kristen’s crazy energy, Gugu’s heartbreak, and Steve and Laura’s awkwardness are absolutely standout moments.
