Oscar Thoughts, 2022/2023

When the nominations came out, I had only seen one of the Best Picture nominee. I've now seen eight. So there is a lot of recency bias below. But I will speak up for one summer movie that was slighted.  The Batman should have gotten a Best Picture nomination, a directing nomination and at least one acting nomination. (For Zoe Kravitz.)

That said, here are the nominations:

Best Picture:

1. Triangle of Sadness. I knew nothing about this movie and I'm pretty sure I would have skipped it if someone described it for me, so I'm not going to say anything specific. But it is, by far, my favorite movie of the year.

2. Tar. Probably going to be remembered over time as the definitive character study of a narcissist.

3. The Banshees of Inisherin. I was asked if this movie is depressing and I said, "Not by Irish standards." (So yes. Quite depressing for the rest of Chistendom.)

4. All Quiet on the Western Front. Nothing new here, but it's well made and it's nice to know the Germans are still anti-war. (Need to keep an eye on that every few years.)

5. The Fablemans The story is a little tame but it's got the usual Spielberg signs of excellence. Oh and Seth Rogen is in it, for some reason.

6. Women Talking. Boring and non-sensical but hey, can't say they didn't warn us, right fellas? Just kidding. It's fine. I liked the cast. Has gaping plot hole that I guess we'll just call a conceit and move on.

7. Everything Everywhere All at Once. I know there are a lot of really smart people who insist that multiverses are possible and I have no reason to doubt that, but holy shit do they ruin literature. And the driving force behind the script seems to be, "If you think of it, we're keeping it in the movie." So once again, can't say they didnt warn us.

8. Elvis. I'll go full Ebert: I hated, hated, hated this movie. It is ahistoric, insulting to the intelligence, poorly  acted and probably the worst editing job I've ever seen. Ful disclosure: I only watched the first 45 minutes but I will never have the time to watch the rest of it.

*Did Not See*
9. Top Gun Maverick. Pilot propaganda from a Scientologist. No, thank you.

10. Avatar. I still have not forgiven Cameron for "unobtanium" and I think it's depressing that this sequel to a movie no one remembers made a billion dollars just by force of marketing will.

Prediction: Everything Everywhere All at Once.

Best Director:

1 & 2. Tar & Triangle of Sadness are both extremely worthy of winning this. I liked Triangle better as a movie but Todd Field has only directed three movies and they are all fantastic. I can't quibble with him winning if he does.

3. Fablemans. Speilberg has already won twice, so I doubt he will win.

4. Banshees is a good movie but not especially challenging to film, so I doubt this wins.

5. Everything Everywhere All at Once.  I know I'm an outlier.

Prediction: Everything Everywhere All at Once.

Best Actor.

1. Colin Firth This is the only nominated movie I saw, apart from 1/3 of that terrible Elvis impression that the kid is still doing in interviews. God I hope he doesn't win.

Prediction: Probably Brendan Fraser but Frith has a shot. Just rooting against Elvis. Like Chuck D trained me to do.

Best Actress:

1. Cate Blanchett and this is not close. But she's already won twice so she's probably a slight under dog.
2. Michelle Yeoh. I mean...she was good. But honestly, can you think of 3 adjectives to describe her character? I can't.
3. I didn't see To Leslie but she had to be better than....
4. Michelle Williams. She owned a monkey. And she looks great in a backlit see-thru dress. That is what I remember about her character. Oh and she had a crush on Seth Rogen, for some reason.
5. Ana de Armas. The most beautiful woman in the world and she did a goo d Marilyn impression but I had to give up on this movie for its pure dreariness.

Prediction: Yeoh

Best Supporting Actress:
1. Kerry Condon, Banshees.
2. Stephanie Hsu, Everything
3. Jamie Lee Curtis, Everthing

I didn't see the Whale or Black Panther 

Prediction: Condon

Best Supporting Actor;
1. Judd Hirsch, the Fabelmans. Not much screen time, but he brought the movie to life for those few minutes.
2. Barry Keoghan, Banshees.
3. Brendan Gleeson, Banshees
4. Ke Huy Quan, Everything. I will be delighted if he won, and I think he was the best part of this movie but by now you've probably figured out I'm not a fan of it overall.

Apparently the 5th nomination went to Bryan Henry for a movie called "Causeway." Congrats to him.

Prediction: Short Round. People will love that story. The Banshees actors probably split votes and Hirsch's role is too small but at least he prevented Seth Rogen from probably getting a nomination, (for some reason). 

Best Original Screenplay:

1. Triangle of Sadness. So maybe some of the dialogue is a little too on the nose, but this movie is original with a capital O. And there is one scene in this movie that I will want to watch on YouTube ever three months for the rest of my life. 

2. Tar.

3. Banshees

4. Fablemans

5. Everything Everywhere All at Once. 

Prediction: Everything Everywhere All at Once.  But maybe, just maybe Triangle. That would be awesome.

Best Adapted Screenplay;

1. Glass Onion. The finale was 10 minutes too long but I still think this is the best script nominated.

2. Women Talking. This is a talker and the dialogue is first rate but I have to reference the plot hole again, which was distracting.

 [Spoiler Warning for the plot hole: Where the hell are they going to go? How does it possibly end well for any of them?]

3. All Quiet on the Western Front

Didn't see Living or Top Gun.

Prediction: Women Talking.