It’s that time of year when I post my thoughts on the Oscar nominees – not because anyone wants to read them, but because I spent 20+ hours watching them all.
First of all, it’s a travesty that my favorite movie of the year – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – received one measly nomination. This is a groundbreaking, genre-altering masterpiece. Only three animated films have ever been nominated for Best Picture. Just as The Dark Knight didn’t receive its rightful Best Picture nomination because superhero films were thought of as a lesser genre, I think the same thing is happening here. But anyway, let’s talk Best Picture nominees…
Scott’s Best Picture Rankings:
1. The Zone of Interest – A haunting, powerful, lingering examination of the cognitive dissonance required to raise a family at the gates of Auschwitz. My favorite shot from the film is when the family was having a pool party while, on the other side of the fence, a new batch of to-be-murdered prisoners arrived by train. The mental gymnastics required by that family to make that feel normal is inconceivable. From its theme to its score, The Zone of Interest feels like a sequel to one of last year’s favorites, All Quiet on the Western Front.
2. Oppenheimer – Nolan has long been my favorite director, and I had high hopes for Oppenheimer. But, with much of the focus of Oppenheimer being on his political affiliations and security clearance, the plot didn’t do it for me. There’s a 1h 45m movie in there that I love (building Los Alamos, transitioning from theory to actually building the bomb, the psychological aspect of being “the father of the atomic bomb”), but the 3h cut was too much for me, even if it is impeccably crafted.
3. Poor Things – I enjoyed the originality of this bizarre retelling of Frankenstein, even if its excess was often uncomfortable. Its cinematography was about as wacky as the rest of it, with a nonstandard aspect ratio and frequent use of ultrawide and fisheye lenses.
4. The Holdovers – A good reminder of how our lives are all entwined, and that we can help each other through life as fellow passengers to the grave if we first take the time to know one another. It’s a lot like The Breakfast Club, except it came out nearly 40 years later but is made to look like it came out 15 years before. (I did appreciate the all-in approach to the time period – it could legitimately pass for a movie made in 1970.)
5. American Fiction – A hilarious and thought provoking look at misguided and/or overcorrected bias and discrimination.
6. Killers of the Flower Moon – It’s a typical Scorsese movie: a plodding, overlong historical drama with excellent performances, production design, and camera work.
7. Past Lives – Endearing but not enduring, it’s an enjoyable watch that you’ll completely forget about a week later.
8. Barbie – Margot Robbie was perfectly cast and I loved the production design and costumes, but the plot was a bit too on the nose for me.
9. Anatomy of a Fall – I couldn’t get into it. A typical courtroom drama, with the fact that it takes place in France being the most interesting aspect.
(Didn’t watch Maestro)
What were your favorites?
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