The 97th Academy Awards are tomorrow! I managed to watch 15 of the nominees this year, including all 10 Best Picture nominees. Overall, I’d call this a down year for movies, but there were still a few bright spots. Here are my picks (not predictions, mind you) for this year’s awards:
Best Picture
Dune: Part II
Sci-fi is my favorite genre, and the well-regarded Dune book franchise is one that I’ve tried to get into but just couldn’t. But the films? Impeccably made. Director Denis Villenueve and cinematographer Greig Fraser have catapulted themselves into the conversation of best in their respective fields. And plot-wise, this was an improvement on its predecessor. Much like Oppenheimer last year, no other Best Picture nominee comes close to Dune in sheer spectacle. For that reason, it’s my top pick.
The Brutalist
When I saw the runtime (3h 34m), I thought “that really is brutal.” But unlike The Irishman a few years ago, this extremely long nominee is one that I didn’t mind sitting through. The acting was fantastic. Both Adrian Brody and Guy Pearce are my picks for the Best Actor noms. The cinematography and production design were both excellent as well, but the ending is what really stuck with me. It’s worth the runtime.
Anora
I knew little about this movie going in. I expected an intense, serious, depressing drama. I was not expecting it to be as original or as funny as it ended up being. It really picks up with the scene at the mansion about midway through when Best Supporting Actor nominee Yuriy Borisov (Igor) is introduced.
A Complete Unknown
This year’s Bohemian Rhapsody, with a transformative lead performance culminating in a concert that is the one thing that people will remember about this movie. Monica Barbaro and Edward Norton were fantastic, with Monica being my pick for Best Supporting Actress. But in the end, it’s just another well-made musical biopic.
I’m Still Here
If “Best Ensemble Cast” were an Oscar, I’d give it to I’m Still Here. This feels like a genuine look at a real family – the dynamics between all the children are so incredibly well done, anchored by a fantastic performance by Fernanda Torres. However, what began as a tour de force ran out of steam in the third act. But overall, it’s a good film and my pick for International Feature Film.
Nickel Boys
Few films attempt a first person perspective for the whole runtime, and even fewer do it successfully. Nickel Boys does it impressively well. While its format leads to a few “what is happening?” moments, those are seldom. Overall, it’s a touching film that’s one of the year’s best.
Conclave
I was a big fan of director Edward Berger’s previous film, Best Picture nominee All Quiet on the Western Front. Years later, that movie has stuck with me. While Conclave is well made and well acted, it’s just not that memorable. It’s like a less intriguing version of Dan Brown’s Angels & Demons.
Wicked
Musicals are very hit-or-miss for me. La La Land is one of my favorite movies. I think it comes down to how the music is presented, as the showy Broadway-style overacting by the ensemble cast is often too much for me. Such is the case with Wicked. And I know I’m in the minority here, but even having seen Wicked on stage, the songs weren’t memorable for me. It came off as basically Maleficent with songs – a fine family-friendly movie whose simple plot is a bit too on the nose. On the plus side, the production design was fantastic – from the fields of tulips to the wizard’s mechanical face to the walkable map of Oz, it was top notch. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande both gave fine acting performances, and Jeff Goldblum was as delightful as ever. And as Sarah likes to point out, “Jonathan Bailey has chemistry with everybody.” But making poor Michelle Yeoh try to sing? Questionable. Overall, I thought it was just okay.
The Substance
Excess. That sums up the movie in one word. The plot is simplistic and predictable, but the makeup and gore escalate to level 11 by the end. I thought Demi Moore, Margaret Qually, and Dennis Quaid all gave good performances, but I hesitate to call them Oscar worthy. The makeup, though? Give them the Oscar now!
Emilia Perez
Controversy aside, this just isn’t a very good movie. There’s a decent movie – not great, but decent – tucked away in here, but the director felt the need to make it a pseudo musical with laughable results. Really, the songs are just flat out bad. How two of the songs received nominations for Original Song is baffling. Zoe Saldana does give a good performance, but overall, it’s embarrassing that this movie is even nominated for Best Picture (and 13 total Oscars!). It seems that the Academy was trying to make a political statement of support and it blew up in their faces. How about next time we just nominate the most deserving movies?
Animated Feature Film
It’s between Flow & The Wild Robot, both of which I really enjoyed. I think I liked The Wild Robot a little more, but it certainly wasn’t as original as Flow. For that reason, it’s a toss up.
Cinematography
Always my favorite category! This year had some excellent entries with Nosferatu and The Brutalist, but without a doubt, my pick is Greig Fraser for Dune: Part II. Between the two Dune movies, The Batman, and The Creator, Fraser is on a roll and I’m psyched for his upcoming films, Project Hail Mary and The Batman: Part II.
Production Design
This has become one of my favorite categories, and this year had some real standouts. The Brutalist, Dune: Part Two, and Nosferatu were all fantastic in this area, but I’d give it to Wicked. They had Christopher Nolan’s go-to production designer, Nathan Crowley, and it showed.
Directing
Denis Villenueve, no question. Oh, he wasn’t nominated? I don’t care. His work on Dune: Part II further cements him as one of the best active directors.
Makeup & Hairstyling
This is where The Substance thrived. Their practical effects were refreshing in this era of overused CGI.
Music (Original Score)
As with Directing, another non-nominee is the clear winner here: Challengers. Trent Reznor’s score was the most memorable of the year.
International Feature Film
Toss up between I’m Still Here and Flow, but I’m leaning I’m Still Here. Definitely not Emilia Perez.
Actor in a Leading Role
Adrian Brody, without question. Ralph Fiennes was great as always in Conclave (and has somehow never won), and Timothee Chalamet was transformative as Bob Dylan, but this one was a no doubter for me.
Actor in a Supporting Role
One of the toughest categories for me. Yura Borisov was the highlight of Anora, Edward Norton was fantastic in A Complete Unknown, Kieran Culkin (who is almost guaranteed to win) was great in A Real Pain. But for me, Guy Pearce in The Brutalist stands above the rest.
Actress in a Leading Role
For some reason, none of the nominees really jump out at me. They were all pretty good, but there’s not a clear winner. It seems that Demi Moore is the favorite, and I guess that’s fine, but Margaret Qualley had just as much screen time and dominated the second half of The Substance. Even though she wasn’t nominated, I think Lily Rose-Depp gave the best performance of the year with Nosferatu.
Actress in a Supporting Role
Unlike lead actress, there’s a clear winner here: Monica Barbaro for A Complete Unknown. Overall, I like all of the nominees, although I’m baffled as to how Isabella Rossellini got a nomination for her 8 minutes of screentime in Conclave.
No Comments