Who's at the Oscars?

Death, taxes, and the Oscars: there is no escaping the inevitable. Overall, this is a pretty interesting slate, even if I think the truly best stuff was blanked on nominations morning. I prioritized my watching based on nomination count, and while I missed a couple of big ones – particularly in Animated, but I’ve certainly got a lot of that in my future thanks to the arrival of my daughter – I managed to check out most of the key films. To spice things up, I’ll correct the mistakes of the 10,000-member Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences by re-assigning the nominations each film received, because as Some Guy Online I get to do that.

Emilia Perez (13 Nominations):

Thoughts: The international sensation and nominations leader was disappointing to me. There are legitimate Mexican artistic criticisms of stereotyping, appropriation, bad dialogue, and softening its critique of the real-life violence inflicted by cartels, as well as legitimate LGBTQ criticism regarding this film’s portrayal of who gets to transition and why that are even self-evident to me when I watch. This film is described as “bold” and “brash”, and while it’s undeniably different than most of the other movies competing for awards, it fails to interrogate anything meaningfully or convey any kind of idea to match the stylistic swings, only a few of which connect though I respect the effort; most movies don’t try this hard. I also don’t think the songs are all that good, which is crucial for a musical rock opera.

Grade: C

Nominations: Picture, Actress, International Feature, Supporting Actress, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Score, Makeup, Cinematography, Editing, Sound, Song x2

Adjusted Nominations: Generously, I’d let them keep Supporting Actress (though Saldana should be in lead), Adapted Screenplay, and Cinematography

The Brutalist (10 Nominations):

Thoughts: Long before its release, this film was bandied about as the next great American epic, and without even seeing the movie it’s clear to see why. It tells the tale of a Jewish Hungarian architect who comes to America in the wake of the Holocaust, struggles to assimilate amidst bias and mistreatment, and labors to bring his visionary architecture to life. In its first half, the movie plays out mostly how you might expect, if thematically rawer; in its second half, its arthouse influences begin to detach from its grounded nature. The result is an inspiring and dark vision that features top-to-bottom excellent filmmaking, acting, writing, production, and strangely enough, Bucks County PA. Its thematic messiness doesn’t betray a lack of ideas, but rather a lack of complete congealment of them – I’d take conflicting greatness over a pure misfire or risk-averse material any day.

Grade: A-

Nominations: Picture, Actor, Supporting Actress, Supporting Actor, Director, Score, Original Screenplay, Production Design, Cinematography, Editing

Adjusted Nominations: Honestly, they probably got it right.

Wicked (10 Nominations):

Thoughts: I was involved in theater growing up (an actor in Middle School before exchanging being in the spotlight to pointing the spotlight), but even I wasn’t enough of a theater kid to walk into this movie already loving the material. I’m being a little cheeky, since I know people have a huge relationship to the Broadway musical if not the novel on which it’s based – I will say, the music is terrific. I do not understand the source material’s existence, since a reframing of The Wizard of Oz, one of the most enduring and perfect films in Hollywood history, feels as unnecessary as it gets. Its two lead performances are very strong, but the washed-out filmmaking, over-editing, and bizarre pacing betrays the physical production, choreography, and themes of the material and makes the final product into a rote blockbuster that has songs instead of something special.

Grade: C+

Nominations: Picture, Actress, Supporting Actress, Score, Production Design, Makeup/Hairstyling, Visual Effects, Costumes, Editing, Sound

Adjusted Nominations: I’d give Erivo’s lead nomination to Ariana Grande, and then only let them keep Production Design, Costumes, and Sound

A Complete Unknown (8 Nominations):

Thoughts: If you, like me, were skeptical of this movie the moment its trailer debuted because you were expecting a by-the-numbers biopic of the early Dylan years, I’d recommend this movie to you because it’s superior to that. If you are expecting something as powerful and moving as Inside Llewyn Davis, it’s not even close. This movie is about a critical two years in Bob Dylan’s career, the people surrounding him, and very little else. I suppose there’s some thematic meaning to be found in the career and personal decisions Dylan makes, but it’s quite thin. However, this movie is an outright celebration of the music and the people who made it that features awesome performances and sturdy filmmaking from top to bottom; no more, no less, just right.

Grade: B

Nominations: Picture, Actor, Supporting Actress, Supporting Actor, Director, Costumes, Adapted Screenplay, Sound

Adjusted Nominations: Remove Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay but keep the rest

Conclave (8 Nominations):

Thoughts: This awards season staple is an engrossing if not completely enrapturing watch, largely due to its inability to fully commit to a character or tone. There are glimpses of comedy beneath the pageantry (read: popularity contest) of electing a pope as well as high-stakes, potentially world-shaking consequence in this story, but Edward Berger’s stately direction isn’t up to the task of either. What he does deliver is a rather straightforward and handsome drama that is a throwback to talky adult dramas of years gone by. The cast uniformly delivers, with Ralph Fiennes anchoring the story in typically excellent fashion; I just wish we were witness to the crisis of faith his character claims to be experiencing in this circumstance.

Grade: B+

Nominations: Picture, Actor, Supporting Actress, Adapted Screenplay, Score, Production Design, Costume Design, Editing

Adjusted Nominations: Remove Picture and Supporting Actress, but add as many Supporting Actor nominations as you’d like

Anora (6 Nominations)

Thoughts: To prep for this movie, I checked out a couple of Sean Baker’s recent acclaimed films (Tangerine and Red Rocket), and it’s no wonder why he’s got a brand for himself in the indie world, since his storytelling ticks are obvious. He spins tales of people on the margins, often sex workers, whose deluded pursuits of happiness are met with cold hard reality. Despite that, his movies are funny and enjoyable to watch, stylish, and unflinching in their portrayal of their worlds; Anora is no different, but the best encapsulation of his mode. Mikey Madison is the breakout star of the year in the titular role, and the film goes from a sexually explicit offbeat fairytale to screwball comedy to quiet, contemplative drama without missing a beat or betraying its themes and tone. It’s one of my favorites of the year.

Grade: A-

Nominations: Picture, Actress, Supporting Actor, Director, Original Screenplay, Editing

Adjusted Nominations: Just add Cinematography

Dune: Part Two (5 Nominations):

Thoughts: The definition of what 2020s blockbuster filmmaking should be, this film is a visual and sonic feast. Denis Villeneuve once again marshalled top-tier filmmaking prowess to bring his exciting vision to life with incredible scope. My hot take is that I slightly prefer Part 1 to this, since it was relatively slower which allowed for better character development and richer atmosphere, but this film’s “highlight reel” of key sequences would easily outpace the first – the Harkonnen planet segment, featuring black-and-white “heat vision” photography and inky fireworks in the sky, is best-of-the-decade stuff. These films aren’t necessarily showcases for great dramatic acting, but the loaded cast hits all the right notes with the standout being Austin Butler’s transformative and scene-stealing work.

Grade: B+

Nominations: Picture, Visual Effects, Production Design, Cinematography, Sound

Adjusted Nominations: I’d add Picture, Director, Score (doesn’t matter how much of it was already used in Part 1), Supporting Actor (Butler), and Editing

The Substance (5 Nominations):

Thoughts: It’s worth noting that this film is a disgusting body horror extravaganza that the Academy decided not just to recognize, but to consider one of the 10 Best Pictures of the year – crazy times! As for the movie itself, it’s off-putting and in your face long before the gore starts flying because of writer/director Coralie Fargeat’s blend of pop design/costuming with extreme close-ups, kinetic camera movements and distorted lenses. Body horror isn’t something I really seek out, but I’m glad I could stomach this one because of its sheer commitment to its style and messaging, no matter how blunt and obvious it is in its black humor and satire.

Grade: B

Nominations: Picture, Actress, Original Screenplay, Director, Makeup/Hairstyling

Adjusted Nominations: Remove Picture and Director but add Editing

Nosferatu (4 Nominations):

Thoughts: Yet again, I dipped my toe into the horror well, and yet again I’m pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. This film, like Eggers’ previous outings, is meticulously researched in period accuracy for its sets, costumes, and dialogue and the result is a very beautiful gothic horror drama that vacillates between scary and tragic in a way that I really got into. At the same time, it’s easy to feel like the emphasis on atmosphere and production suppresses any life in the film, and it’s hard to refute – I’m not sure if there’s anything transcendental here, but the product is top-to-bottom so good and done at the highest level that it’s impossible to ignore.

Grade: B+

Nominations: Production Design, Makeup/Hairstyling, Cinematography, Costumes

Adjusted Nominations: These are some great picks!

Sing Sing (3 Nominations):

Thoughts: In the movie circles I distantly orbit, this movie was one of THE stories of the year, not necessarily because of anything in or about it, but because A24 never gave this film a proper distribution, and it went quite overlooked in the awards race despite garnering 3 nominations. After watching it, I agree – it’s very strong. Featuring an ensemble of formerly incarcerated actors and revolving around Sing Sing’s real Rehabilitation Through the Arts program, it’s as tender yet fresh as movies get. However, it avoids getting to treacly since the process of the troupe bringing their play to life is messy logistically and emotionally; the heart of the movie lies in their conflicts, growth, and regressions.

Grade: B+

Nominations: Actor, Adapted Screenplay, Original Song

Adjusted Nominations: Add Picture and Supporting Actor (Clarence Maclin)

A Real Pain (2 Nominations):

Thoughts: Jesse Eisenberg’s sophomore writer/director feature is as simple and lovely as moviemaking gets. It’s a hearty stew of walk-and-talks, fish-out-of-water, and mismatched-buddy-dramedy with a distinct identity thanks to its subject matter and performances. The setting of a Holocaust tour gives the film some historical thematic heft, but at the end of the day the real power is in getting to know its two central characters, watch their relationship unfold, and watch them confront their demons. The heart of this movie is in its mess, formulated by the script, and brought to life by two excellent lead performances – they do still make them like this, but increasingly rarely.

Grade: B+

Nominations: Supporting Actor, Original Screenplay

Adjusted Nominations: Lead Actor (still Culkin), Original Screenplay, and I wouldn’t have blinked at Best Picture.

Nickel Boys (2 Nominations):

Thoughts: Wow. I was absolutely dazzled by this film in the story it tells, but especially in HOW it tells it. Co-writer and director RaMell Ross employs a highly subjective and unconventional approach to this adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s novel and creates a unique formal filmgoing experience while evoking the power of the story in breathtaking fashion. Yes, the subject matter of boys at an abusive reform school in 1960’s Florida is difficult, but there is so much originality and poignancy in the telling that I’d call it unmissable. It’s an essential piece of American history told by a new American filmmaker in a fresh way, with excellent performances top to bottom; my favorite film of the year.

Grade: A-

Nominations: Picture, Adapted Screenplay

Adjusted Nominations: Picture, Director, Actor (Wilson), Supporting Actor, Adapted Screenplay, Editing, Cinematography, Production Design – and I’d give it a lot of wins.

The Apprentice (2 Nominations):

Thoughts: Is ever a good time for a biopic of Trump’s early career under the wing of controversial lawyer Roy Cohn?  I was impressed by the overwhelming gaudiness of this film, something that filmmaker Ali Abbasi clearly embraced in every aspect of production as it’s an appropriately uncomfortable watch caught somewhere between satire and disgust. Sebastian Stan and Mark Strong are both excellent as Trump and Cohn, taking their performances just up to the edge of caricature without tipping over. There’s not a lot of story or stakes here, and Abbasi is clearly banking on the audience’s current relationship with his subject to fill in any gaps the film has, spinning a kind of prequel to the barrage of scandal and headlines we’ve been inundated with for the past decade.

Grade: B-

Nominations: Actor (Stan), Supporting Actor (Strong)

Adjusted Nominations: Transfer Stan’s acting nomination to his performance in the next film on this list, but Strong is absolutely on fire.

A Different Man (1 Nomination):

Thoughts: It’s a little hard to put my finger on this movie’s tone, existing somewhere between psychological drama (too lowkey for a thriller), extremely dark comedy, and genuine sadness. One body horror sequence aside, there’s nothing viscerally frightening about this movie, but the psychological depths it plunges about identity, specifically in relationship to one’s own face, are appropriately off-putting. Sebastian Stan is magnificent, playing under heavy prosthetics for the film’s first act, and then having an all-time breakdown over the course of the rest of the film. It’s Adam Pearson, an actor and character who has the same condition as Stan’s character, who steals the show both inside and outside of the story.

Grade: B

Nominations: Makeup/Hairstyling

Adjusted Nominations: Add Actor, Supporting Actor, Original Screenplay

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (1 Nomination):

Thoughts: I like these recent Apes movies so much I wrote an article about them on the eve of this one. The burning question for we “Ape-heads” was how this film would address Caesar’s legacy now that 300 years have passed, and that question turned into the most thematically interesting stuff in the movie. It takes an awful long time for us to meet Proximus Caesar, the villain who’s twisted the noble history of Caesar for his own gain, and ultimately the film’s climax left me wanting. In short: some of the movie is intriguing, a lot of it is just ok, but it's solid entertainment.

Grade: C+

Nominations: Visual Effects

Adjusted Nominations: Visual Effects – the ape motion-capture work is still great.