Saturday, January 27, 2024

Oscar's 10 Best Picture Nominees (and where to watch them)



Get the popcorn ready! On Tuesday, the Academy announced its ten nominees for Best Pictures, which aligns with the Producer's Guild list for the first time since the 1990s (when there were just five nominees). It's one of the collective best lists in years.

Before the curtain rises on the awards ceremony on March 10th, here's your guide to catching these gems, kicking off with the monster that's leading the pack in nominations and poised to sweep categories from best picture, director and cinematography to supporting actor and sound.



OPPENHEIMER, 13 NOMINATIONS

From its seamlessly dizzy flow of flashbacks to its weighted introspection, every second of Oppenheimer is definitely a Nolan film. And one of his best. Telling a historical story, with accuracy respected, gives Nolan some restraint in storytelling that reduces his head-scratching tendencies (Tenet, Interstellar, Inception). Oppenheimer sits on the shelf with Nolan's Dunkirk, Memento and The Dark Knight. And this is the one that will finally win him the Oscar for directing and picture.

Nominated for: Best picture, director, actor, supporting actor, supporting actress, adapted screenplay, production design, costume design, cinematography, editing, makeup and hairstyling, sound, original score.

Where to watch: Rent now on VOD (Amazon, Apple, YouTube). Coming to Peacock TV on February 16.




POOR THINGS
11 NOMINATIONS

It's alive! If you had a woman's coming-of-age journey that borrows from Frankenstein and takes place in a saturated steampunk world on your bingo card for the second-most nominated film of the year, you should probably be a character in this film.

Director Yorgos Lanthimos (The Favourite, The Lobster) has created an award-season monster that will probably get Emma Stone her second (deserved) Oscar for a performance that leaves all other nominated actresses and not-nominated Margot Robbie, in the dust.

Nominated for: Best picture, actress, supporting actor, director,  original score,  cinematography, adapted screenplay, production design, costume design, makeup and hairstyling, film editing.

Where to watch: In theaters now



KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON10 NOMINATIONS

Martin Scorsese took David Grann’s excellent, 2017 nonfiction page-turner and shifted its focus to create an unforgettable, historic epic. The film's strongest chance for a win is with Lily Gladstone (Reservation Dogs) as Mollie Burkhart. She shoulders the emotional narrative in a quiet performance that is unnerving.

Nominated for: Best picture, director, actress, supporting actor, production design, costume design, cinematography, editing, original score, original song.

Where to watch: Stream now on Apple+.




BARBIE8 NOMINATIONS

Greta Gerwig (Little Bird, Little Women) didn't deliver a toy movie, but a fun, funny summer film with a universal message — and it became the cultural phenomenon of 2023. Despite the fuss about nominations, this Mattel toy blockbuster comedy is up for 8 Oscars. Margot Robbie, as producer of the film, and Greta Gerwig, for the screenplay, are still nominees despite what you may have heard on social.

Nominated for: Best picture, supporting actor, supporting actress, adapted screenplay, production design, costume design, original song (the max two nominees).

Where to watch:Stream it on MAX. Or rent it on VOD.



MAESTRO7 NOMINATIONS


Bradley Cooper orchestrates his passion project with high style and a bravado performance as both actor and director. The film explores the personal life of American composer and conductor, Leonard Bernstein. I wanted more about his craft, but that's not the film they made. On the plus, it's gorgeous and Carey Mulligan does some of her finest work.

Nominated for: Best picture, actor, actress, original screenplay, cinematography, makeup and hairstyling, sound.

Where to watch: Stream on Netflix now.



ANATOMY OF A FALL
5 NOMINATIONS


The winner of the Palme d’Or at last year’s Cannes Film Festival. It's not eligible for Foreign Language film, as France submitted another film, yet it still gathered five nominations. It's a murder mystery/courtroom drama that is so expertly crafted and engagingly unique that you wonder why all the others in its genre seem the same. 

Nominated for: Best picture, director, actress, original screenplay, editing.

Where to watch: Rent it now on VOD.



AMERICAN FICTION5 NOMINATIONS

One of the most easily enjoyable films of the year is this comedy from writer-director Cord Jefferson that rewrites the book on stereotypes to laugh-out-loud effect. The set-up follows a frustrated novelist who writes a stereotypical "black book" as satire, only for it to be published and popular. However it reveals itself in time as a family drama and character study led by American film treasure Jefferey Wright (The Batman, Asteroid City, The French Dispatch).

Nominated for: Best film, adapted screenplay, original score, supporting actor.

Where to watch: In theaters now




THE HOLDOVERS5 NOMINATIONS

From its film grain and vintage lenses to its wintery New England setting, this cozy must-see from director Alexander Payne (Sideways, Nebraska, The Descendants) features Paul Giamatti and Da'Vine Joy, who are both frontrunners to win actor and supporting actress. The film follows a curmudgeonly instructor (and cafeteria manager) at a 1970s prep school as they remain on campus during winter break to babysit a handful of students including Dominic Sessa, in an excellent film debut.

This is the film I've already seen twice, and will someday in the future.

Nominated for: Best picture, actor, supporting actress, original screenplay, editing.

Where to watch: Stream it now on Peacock. Or buy it on VOD.



THE ZONE OF INTEREST5 NOMINATIONS

This film from Jonathan Glazer (Sexy Beast) imagines what life next door to horror looks like as the commandant of Auschwitz and his wife strive to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden next to the death camp. Obviously, there is nothing ordinary about this life or this film.

Nominated for: Best picture, director, adapted screenplay, international feature film, sound.

Where to watch: In theaters now.



PAST LIVES2 NOMINATIONS

Past Lives explores a story of untapped possibilities and in-yun, the universe’s way of reuniting souls who shared a connection in previous lives. Luckily, it is quite the antidote to years of repetitive movies about multiverses.

In its own quiet and distinctive manner, this film starring Greta Lee emerges as an emotionally resonant love story that stands out as one of the most impactful of this decade. It was my favorite film of 2023. 

Nominated for: Best picture and original screenplay.

Nominated for:  Trust me on this one. Rent it now on VOD.



The Ten Buck Review:
All ten are worth ten bucks. Enjoy!















Sunday, January 21, 2024

Who Gets An Oscar Nomination Tomorrow?


With a record of 78.7% accuracy at predicting nominees, here are my predictions for an Oscar race that will reward Oppenheimer with a towering 13 nominations and 10 for its summer companion, Barbie, a Mattel toy movie that is going to scoop up a two-digit tally of Academy Awards.

PICTURE

American Fiction
Anatomy of a Fall
Barbie
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Past Lives
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest


Spoiler: The Color Purple
Shocker: Saltburn


DIRECTOR

Greta Gerwig, Barbie
Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest
Alexander Payne, The Holdovers
Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon

Spoiler: Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things
Shocker: Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall

ACTRESS

Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon
Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall
Carey Mulligan, Maestro
Margot Robbie, Barbie
Emma Stone, Poor Things

Spoiler: Annette Bening, Nyad
Shocker: Fantasia, The Color Purple

ACTOR

Bradley Cooper, Maestro
Colman Domingo, Rustin
Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers
Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer
Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction

Spoiler: Leo DiCaprio, Killers of the Flower Moon
Shocker: Barry Keoghan, Saltburn 



SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer
Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
Jodie Foster, Nyad
Jullianne Moore, May December
Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers

Spoiler: 
Sandra Huller, The Zone of Interest
Shocker: Rosamund Pike, Saltburn or Penélope Cruz, Ferrari



SUPPORTING ACTOR

Willem Dafoe, Poor Things
Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon
Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer
Ryan Gosling, Barbie
Dominic Sessa, The Holdovers

Spoiler: 
Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things 
Shocker: Charles Melton, May December

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

American Fiction, Cord Jefferson
Barbie, Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach
Killers of the Flower Moon, Eric Roth, Martin Scorsese
Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan
Poor Things, Tony McNamara

Spoiler: Zone of Interest
Shocker: All of Us Strangers


ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Anatomy of a Fall, Justine Triet, Arthur Harari
The Holdovers, David Hemingson
Maestro, Bradley Cooper, Josh Singer
May December, Samy Burch, Alex Mechanik
Past Lives, Celine Song

Spoiler: Saltburn, Emerald Fennel
Shocker: The Boy and the Heron


INTERNATIONAL FEATURE

Fallen Leaves, Finland
Society of the Snow, Spain
The Taste of Things, France
The Teachers’ Lounge, Germany
The Zone of Interest, UK


ANIMATED FEATURE

The Boy and the Heron
Elemental
Nimona
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Suzume

Spoiler: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
20 Days in Mariupol

American Symphony
Beyond Utopia
The Eternal Memory
Four Daughters

Spoiler: Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Killers of the Flower Moon, Rodrigo Prieto
Maestro, Matthew Libatique
Oppenheimer, Hoyte van Hoytema
Poor Things, Robbie Ryan
The Zone of Interest, Lukasz Zal

COSTUME DESIGN
Barbie, Jacqueline Durran
Killers of the Flower Moon, Jacqueline West
Napoleon, David Crossman and Janty Yates
Oppenheimer, Ellen Mirojnick
Poor Things, Holly Waddington

FILM EDITING
Anatomy of a Fall
The Holdovers
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest

Potential snub: Killers of the Flower Moon

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Society of the Snow

PRODUCTION DESIGN

Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest


SCORE
Barbie, Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt
Killers of the Flower Moon, Robbie Robertson
Oppenheimer, Ludwig Göransson
Poor Things, Jerskin Fendrix
The Zone of Interest, Mica Levi

Spoiler: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Daniel Pemberton

SONG
“The Fire Inside” by Diane Warren, Flamin’ Hot
"I'm Just Ken" by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, Barbie
“It Never Went Away” by Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson, American Symphony
"What Was I Made For?" by Billie Eilish and Finneas, Barbie
“Road to Freedom” by Lenny Kravitz, Rustin

SOUND
Ferrari
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer
The Zone of Interest

Spoiler: Barbie, The Killer

VISUAL EFFECTS
The Creator
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Poor Things
Society of the Snow
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Spoiler: Godzilla Minus One

LIVE-ACTION SHORT
The After
The Anne Frank Gift Shop
Red, White and Blue or Yellow
Strange Way of Life
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

ANIMATED SHORT
Boom
Letter to a Pig
Ninety-Five Senses
Once Upon a Studio
War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko

DOCUMENTARY SHORT
The ABCs of Book Banning, MTV
Camp Courage, Netflix
Deciding Vote, The New Yorker
The Last Repair Shop, LA Times/Searchlight
Oasis, The New York Times