Today is Oscar Sunday, or as I think of it, my Super Bowl, and generally one of my favorite days of the year. This year feels a little different, given the state of the world. And on one hand, it feels surreal to celebrate while leaders are pretending wrong is right and our friends are our enemies.
On the other hand, art has always been there in the midst of chaos, fighting the good fight since...well, forever. And it deserves recognition. So now does not seem like the right time to give an inch on joy.
With that in mind, here are my reviews of the Best Picture nominees ranked from least to most favorite.
10. Anora - the fact that this is my least favorite is less the film's fault and more mine. I read the description and thought sex worker/son of Russian oligarch = meet cute! Obviously that was on me. I'm also not the hugest fan of the whole "kidnapper who gets the girl" trope, so it felt like a weird take on Pedro Almodovar's "Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!" I enjoyed the Brooklyn setting more than the story, but I know a lot of people loved this, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.
9. Dune Part Two - don't come for me, there was nothing wrong with this movie, I'm just not a huge sci-fi fan. Plus, I read the book a million years ago, and as I recall, that book was pretty spicy (pun intended) and this film was beautifully shot, but kind of bland. My youngest son Luke loved it, and I made the mistake of saying that I had seen Dune in the 80s when Sting was in it, to which Luke said, "who is Sting?" Ouch.
8. Emilia Perez -- I love a musical and given what I knew about the story, I was hoping for something along the lines of Kiss of the Spider Woman. But instead, the musical numbers felt more like Waiting for Guffman minus the humor of Christopher Guest. And that was my feeling throughout the film - it felt like parody of some pretty serious subjects, but not in a funny way. Also, if you're going to make a movie that is so specific to place and not shoot it in that place, I think you need a more compelling reason than wanting to shoot where you know how to control the light. It's Mexico, not Mars; they have light there, too.
7. The Brutalist - Adrien Brody's performance was great and I enjoyed the design/architectural scenes. My only complaint is that three and a half hours is a long time. If you're going to make a movie that requires an intermission, it better be so compelling and sweeping, or trying to capture a beloved book, that you just cannot do it justice without that extra hour. Otherwise, it seems a little arrogant to assume your greatness overrides most people's attention span. That being said, I still want to go back and watch the second half that I couldn't stay awake for.
6. The Substance - first, let me say this is my #6 pick only because I liked 1-5 better; this was a really compelling movie. Disgusting? Yes. Did I make a mistake by watching it while eating dinner? Also yes. But did it nail the revolting nature of what we do to ourselves in the name of beauty? 100% yes. Demi Moore's performance was outstanding. Also, I love that a horror movie made the Best Pic nominee list and I hope to see more.
5. A Complete Unknown - this was an actor-driven film and Timothée Chalamet delivered. He said in his SAG award speech that he spent five years working on this performance, and I can believe it. Also, it captured a time and a place which is such a part of American lore, that it felt really cool to experience it. I wasn't around in 1960s New York, but thanks to this movie, I felt like I got a tiny glimpse.
4. Nickel Boys - heartbreaking, intense, beautifully and uniquely shot. Another slice of America history from the 60s, which was cruel and hard to watch, but important to see. And can someone please explain to me why this isn't nominated for cinematography?
3. Wicked - as I said earlier, I'm a sucker for a musical. But I'd never seen a production of Wicked. So I went in without having anything to compare it to, although I had a vague idea of the story and the songs. And I absolutely loved it. Gorgeously colorful and sparkly and fun. When "Popular" came on, I think I might have squealed, because both my kids started laughing at me. I thought both Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande were fantastic and I will definitely see the second one. (Also, to anyone complaining this was "woke," I suggest you read the book).
2. Conclave -- I had zero expectations for this, other than it had a really good cast. But honestly I thought it would be a little boring. I was wrong. It was suspenseful, thrilling, and kept me wanting to know more. I started watching with my oldest, and he had to leave about halfway through, and asked me not to finish watching it until he got home. Sometimes if you stop a movie and then resume it later, it loses some of its momentum, but we picked this back up the next day, and it was like we'd never stopped.
Which leaves....drumroll....
1. I'm Still Here - this movie blew me away. It lures you in with warmth and laughter and music, so much so, that despite knowing what this movie is about, you want to think everything will be ok. You see the creeping threat of a military takeover at the same time as the Paiva family, and you feel the horror along with them. Relevant, relentless and inspiring, this is my #1 pick for Best Picture. And Fernanda Torres is my pick for Best Actress.
So come 7pm (ok, 5 because not even existential dread will keep me from red carpet coverage), I'm parking myself in front of the TV watching to see who wins. And because I've never met a theme I didn't like, of course I am making a menu around my top Oscar picks:
Dessert - Wicked - green and pink dipped Oreos
Starter - I'm Still Here - blue cheese-Manchego soufflé with (not pictured) guava fig compote
*Yes I know I took some liberties, but I am not paying $20/lb for guanciale when bacon and Italian sausage are cheaper.