I'm back with my reviews of this year's Academy Award best picture nominees. This year, I wrote each of my reviews within no more than a day or two after seeing the movies. I wanted to get my fresh take on the films, rather than trying assess the films months after having see them. It worked out pretty well, and it was interesting to see how the movies moved up and down my list with each new one I watched. We'll see how my choices stack up against the Academy's when the best pictue winner is announced tonight.
I really liked the top 5, found the next three solid, and did not care for the last two movies on this list. Here are my reviews;
1. Hamnet. I went into the theater on very little sleep and sure enough I had trouble staying awake and fully following this story of two grieving parents, William and Agnes, and how that grief gave birth to the famous Shakespearean play, Hamlet. But I really want to see this movie again--when I'm fully awake, because the last maybe twenty minutes of the film were absolutely riveting. I couldn't stop thinking about those final scenes, and found them very moving. Jessie Buckely deserves every acting award for her performance as grieving mother Agnes. And there is one casting decision that was brilliant in my opinion and adds so much to the film. Stick around for the early credits and see if you catch it! Early in the movie, I was debating whether Hamnet would land before or after Train Dreams--another sad and dreary tail of loss and grief. By the end, I was debating whether it should land before or after Bugonia. And a few days after viewing, I realized it deserved to be in the number one spot. More than any other film in this group, Hamnet made me geuniunely feel.
2. Bugonia. Two tin foil hat conspiracists kidnap a corporate CEO convinced that she is an Andromedan, an alien life form sent to destroy planet earth. What ensues is a gripping, twisty ride as Emma Stone's Michelle desperately attempts to convince her abductors that she is not in fact an alien and get them to let her go unharmed. It's fascinating to watch this extremely sharp woman who is used to bending reality to her will using all her wits to get these guys to listen to reason. But it's the final minutes of the movie that I keep going back to. Suffice it to say there are some twists that while not exactly shocking--I had some suspicions all along--are very well executed. Some will say Bugonia ends on a very dark note, but I don't know. The music montage that closes out the movie to me felt haunting, increasingly thoughtful and even beautiful-- highlighting the one that thing unites us all, high and low, rich and poor--the single thing we all have in common. There is something freeing in that reminder.
3. One Battle After Another. This timely movie touches on a lot of flashpoint issues that are gripping our country right now. Immigration, racism, the unchecked power of law enforcement and the double standards that often lurk under the surface inside these agencies. But the heart of the film is of a father's love for the daughter he has raised alone and his determination to find her and bring her home safely. While there is a lot of action in the film, the father's quest is not cartoonish--there's no cliche showdown between heroic dad and dastardly villains. Leo DiCaprio's Bob is no Liam Neeson, and Chance Infinity's Willa, has guts and grit aplenty. The choice to not make this another version of Taken was a good one. Paul Thomas Anderson has a lot he wants to say and some may find him a bit hamfisted in making his points, but I found the story entertaining, well-acted, visually arresting, and ultimately touching. Tom Petty's "American Girl" playing as the credits roll is the cherry on top of one of my favorite films of the bunch.
4. Marty Supreme. Timothee Chalamet definitely deserves the best actor nomination he received for the titular Marty in this film. He brings so much swagger, such undeniable confidence, and dogged determination to the role. He wills those around him--and us, the audience--into believing in his greatness in a sport that one doesn't typically associate with alpha energy--table tennis. The only thing standing between Marty and his goal of becoming a table tennis icon is his tendency to make really poor decisions. Time and again he makes the worse possible choice and he--along with the hapless people around who can't seem to help but rally around him despite what it costs them--pay the price. And yet you can't help but root for the guy. The big table tennis match near the end of the movie will have you on the edge of your seat, cheering Marty on. I really enjoyed Marty Supreme and I really wrestled with whether to give it the top spot or not.
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5. Sinners. I really debated for a long time about whether I'd even watch this movie. I've always disliked horror movies, but I'm finding that there are a small number of films that are categorized as horror, but somehow don't fit that defnition for me. Get Out and The Substance are two exceptions, and Sinners has proved to be a third. For me, this movie was not scary--not the sort of thing that will leave me jumpy at night after watching it. I don't particular enjoy that feeling. It was also not shallow, cliche-ridden, or mindless--also qualities I associate with horror movies. And finally it was not driven by demonic storylines. Vampires, are of course supernatural, but they are also entirely fictional. There was a lot of blood and gore. It was violent. But this was a film that had a lot to say and gives the viewer a lot to think about it. It's well-made, well-paced, and I loved how the movie ended. This is one you want to keep watching even after the credits begin to roll. There is a stunning and satisfying reveal just as the movie ends that I really enjoyed.
6. Frankenstein. Gothic in look and tone, this film tells the story of Dr. Victor Frankenstein and his creation, the Monster. His creature is fearsome to behold, but has a gentle, yearning heart. He longs for connection and love, and barring that, the hope that someday his suffering may be relieved by death. But it does not appear that he can die, and this merciless life of suffering is a horror far greater than anything the Creature inflicts unwillingly on those around him. The movies is pretty gloomy for the most part, but ends on a somewhat hopeful note. It was a good movie, but lands right in the middle of the pack for me.
7. Train Dreams. This is a meditative film about a simple, decent man whose life is haunted by grief and unwarranted guilt. It is beautifully shot and well-acted, with lead Joel Edgerton delivering a heartbreaking performance. There's nothing to criticize about Train Dreams other than that it is just really sad. That's the reason for its placement on this year's list. Interesting side note: This is one of two best picture nominees that Kerry Condon appears in and the two movies couldn't be more different! The other movie, in which Condon has a much larger role, is next up on my list.
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8. F1. I really don't know why this movie was nominated. To be clear, it was a fun and engaing watch--I didn't almost doze off as I did with some of the other films on this list. But best picture of the year? Really? F1 hits all the classic Jerry Bruckheimer tropes. Maverick male lead in a helmet at helm of high-speed machines? Check. Adrenaline-pumping rock (and these days, hip hop) soundtrack? Check. Woman who is a smart and sexy technical expert and the casually romantic appendage to the male lead? Check and check! Probably the biggest change in Bruckhemier's storytelling is that we've gone from the hero as cocky young punk showing the old folks a thing or two, to the cocky old guy showing the young punks a thing or two. I was enterained.
9. Sentimental Value. This Norweigan film about two daughters reconnecting with their absent father after the death of their mother was good, I guess. Once again, I was sleep-deprived, and I can't help but wonder if I might have been more enthused about this movie if I'd been well-rested. The performances were strong and it was a thoughtful film. But I just didn't find that it stuck with me.
10. The Secret Agent. I was bored to be honest. Might be because I was tired. I felt like I was missing pieces, maybe because of the subtitles. I looked up the plot summary on Wikipedia when I got home and apparently I did pretty much get the gist off the film, but the watch was a monotonous experience occasionally punctuated by moments of gruesome violence. As movies set during the politically oppressive environment of 1970s Brazil go, I liked last years movie, I'm Still Here, much better.
