This morning, the nominees for the 96th annual Academy Awards were announced. Here are my personal rankings from ten to one.
10. Maestro
Bradley Cooper’s follow-up to his directorial debut, A Star Is Born, came from Netflix. Leading up to its release, Cooper’s direction and performance as legendary conductor Leonard Bernstein received praise from the festival circuit. I was relatively excited as I do enjoy Cooper as a performer and think we’re seeing the rise of a high-profile director, but I ended the film feeling disappointed. Maybe it’s just my disinterest in films about conductors (I also did not love Todd Field’s Tár, as others did), my lack of attachment to Bernstein as a historical figure or the self-aggrandizing style the film seems to take, but Maestro did nothing for me. I found the story to be unfocused and incredibly strange (that one Maya Hawke scene still puzzles me). I understand that making a film is challenging and because of that I try to give every movie I watch a genuine chance, but with this one, I was mainly excited for it to end.
9. Past Lives
Another film I was excited about because of its festival buzz, Celine Song’s Past Lives seems like a movie made specifically for me. I love romantic drama especially when it deals with people’s childhood, and hearing that it’s a tear-jerker got me even more excited. Maybe I got set up to fail by my own expectations, though, as I walked out of the theatre liking the movie but incredibly puzzled by its high praise. I thought everything about it was good but not great. It’s a very small story, which I appreciate, and I’m happy that it is receiving such high praise but I wasn’t able to connect to it in the way that many others are which I feel is crucial to a film of this shape when it comes to its relationship to the viewer.
8. The Holdovers
Putting Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers this low might be one of my most diverging opinions from the pack of film lovers. This is in a similar tier to Past Lives for me, where I walked out thinking “good, but not great”. I enjoyed everything it was doing and liked the film’s stylistic homage to a 70’s holiday movie with a more modern mindset. I agree with what seems to be the popular consensus that the performances were great and the movie had a cozy feel to it, but I was left wanting a little more bite to it all. I recommended this to almost everyone in my family over the holidays when I was asked about anything good I’d seen recently, which I feel says something about how not challenging the movie is. In my opinion, that is both a good and bad thing.
7. American Fiction
I love a satire. Go back and read my thoughts on The Lobster to see how much I love satire. American Fiction is a very different, riskier type of satire though. A satire about satire is a super interesting idea, and I think Cord Jefferson’s film debut accomplished a lot on that front as well as in its family drama. That being said, the film often feels torn between those two types of movies and is unwilling to commit to either. Very funny, layered while still on the nose, smart and emotional, American Fiction ends up feeling a bit toothless in its critique. The performances here are good and everyone is playing their part perfectly, in my opinion, but I wanted more from each character (Sterling K. Brown’s character is incredible but feels a bit underserved by the narrative, by the time the credits rolled it felt like his character’s arc existed solely to set up a 3rd act monologue). That being said, I enjoyed the film and think it deserves its nomination here.
6. Barbie
There truly is nothing left to say about Barbie that hasn’t already been said. The biggest movie of the year, instantly iconic and very easily arguably saved the summer box office. Insanely entertaining and fun, both Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie cement themselves (as if they hadn’t already) as two major figures in 21st-century pop culture here. I think it’s disappointing and bizarre that neither were nominated for their crucial roles in Barbie’s success. The film was incredibly smart and will likely go down as Gerwig’s definitive work as the single most culturally important millennial American filmmaker. Regardless, this is a nominee I wish I could have ranked higher but is a victim to a strong top 5.
5. Anatomy of a Fall
It’s a great year for smart films. Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall is a fascinating exploration of ambiguity as well as a harsh critique of the French judicial system. This came out of Cannes guns blazing, winning the Palme d’Or, and was the biggest blind spot of my time at the festival. Sandra Hüller was wonderful in the leading role, which rightfully landed her the Best Actress nomination, but I think most will agree with me in saying Milo Machado Graner comes out of the movie leaving the biggest impression on the audience. Rarely does a child actor outperform an entire cast, especially one with veterans like Hüller, but Machado Graner does something special in Anatomy of a Fall. For me, the film’s only weakness was that it felt a little bit too long. To be 152 minutes and not feel like a slog, a movie has to earn it and keep the audience engaged, which the film mostly does, but some sequences feel like there could have been a little more left on the cutting room floor. That being said, the way the film concludes is riveting and knocks it out of the park.
4. The Zone of Interest
This is an unbelievably challenging movie. Jonathan Glazer’s style is already not the most mainstream, so combining that with the source material that is Martin Amis’s novel about the Nazis that run Auschwitz is a combination not for the faint of heart but should be required viewing. A disgusting film that shoves evil in your face and doesn’t allow you to look away, The Zone of Interest is disturbing for every reason you will not expect. What is not seen and only heard is the most important aspect of the film and is top of mind for every second you are watching. I think its nomination in this category is essential as it will bring attention to the film, one that is not otherwise likely to be seen by viewers who aren’t particularly interested in film, let alone more experimental and non-narrative film.
3. Killers of the Flower Moon
The long-anticipated adaptation of David Grann’s 2017 book of the same name comes from an all-time, all-star squad of Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Robbie Robertson and Thelma Schoonmaker (and introduced lots of people to Lily Gladstone, who, in my opinion, is the best part of this movie). Its COVID delay was probably for the best, as it reportedly underwent an extensive rewrite as production stood in limbo due to the pandemic. And even after that, this is not a perfect film. Scorsese is obviously a master of the craft and is the single most important contemporary figure in terms of filmmaking, preservation and promotion, but the film leaves much to be desired in terms of its point of view. This movie would not have been made without Scorsese, but it’s still easy to acknowledge this as a flawed project. All that said, the film’s finale seems incredibly self-aware of this unavoidable trap a project like this falls into. After sitting through more than three hours of an entertainment product, the movie effectively slaps you in the face to wake up to what you’re consuming. Crime adaptations effectively do no justice to their victims and serve only to be forgotten.
2. Poor Things
Another film with strong festival buzz, Poor Things was top of my most anticipated list for most of the year because of my affection for Yorgos Lanthimos. His style of weird filmmaking is refreshing, as he knows how to take an established genre and make it something bizarre (shoutout to the Greek Weird Wave). There is so much to chew on with Poor Things, mainly its use of absurdism to critique patriarchy and the idea of male ownership of women. All of this is carried by the film’s outstanding performances. Some notable ones here are of course Willem Dafoe and Mark Ruffalo, but two unexpected ones are Ramy Youssef and Christopher Abbott. Abbott is an actor I think is wonderful (I recommend On The Count of Three, directed by fellow Poor Things castmate Jerrod Carmichael). Youssef is a performer I’m excited to see in movies (I recommend his semi-autobiographical comedy series, Ramy, as well as his stand-up special Feelings). And of course, Emma Stone, who we already knew to be amazing, has established herself to be a generational talent with her performance as Bella Baxter (this film’s release alongside her performance in The Curse strengthens this idea). She’s doing something incredibly special in this movie and, in my mind, is a shoo-in for her second Academy Award.
1. Oppenheimer
Oppenheimer is such a clear frontrunner for this category it has basically been running unopposed since its release this past summer. An incredibly strong showing on every front of filmmaking, Christopher Nolan’s epic biopic fires on all cylinders for every single minute of its 181-minute runtime. What might otherwise be a 3-hour slog is, in my opinion, propelled by Ludwig Göransson’s absolutely electric score (“Can You Hear The Music” is instantly recognizable and a masterwork). The great performances of everyone involved, notably Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., Rami Malek and Alden Ehrenreich, take the technically amazing achievements of the crew and run with them to complete what I think is the definitive film of the year. In the way that I watch and think about these things, it’s easy for me to poke holes in movies especially so long after a release, but with Oppenheimer, I find it undeniable. Easy pick for my #1.
film bro mode activated. happy super bowl for u.