The 98th Academy Awards is still over a month away — Sunday March 15th. So you've got plenty of time to catch-up on any films you've missed, or to binge all the nominees. Here are my thoughts on this year's 10 nominees for Best Picture:
My favorite of the group is "Train Dreams", an intimate drama starring Joel Edgerton as a logger in early 20th Century America who experiences the power of life in its many forms. I was able to see this in a theater — to fully take-in the Oscar nominated cinematography and title song in the end credits. But if your TV is big enough, you should feel the impact of it too while watching this on Netflix.
The runner-up for me is "Sinners", which became the most nominated movie in Academy history, earning 16 nominations. Ryan Coogler's dramatic horror thriller, with music, is also unique and meaningful. It's on HBO Max. My third favorite Best Picture nominee this year is the other box office blockbuster — "F1". The Brad Pitt racing drama is good old fashioned entertainment. Not extraordinary, and without the depth of "Ford v. Ferrari", which was also Best Picture nominated six years ago, but definitely fun. "F1" is on AppleTV.
"Hamnet", starring Best Actress frontrunner Jessie Buckley, is adapted from a novel about William Shakespeare, his wife Agnes, and their children. It's a tough movie, with a third act that isn't as emotionally effective as it think it is. But Buckley is undeniably good. "Hamnet" is still playing in theaters and available on Digital.
"Sentimental Value” (also on Digital) focuses on the complicated relationship between a legendary film director and his daughters — along with the actress who might be starring in his next movie. Not a masterful screenplay, but Stellan Skarsgard is excellent, in a role that deserves to win him Best Supporting Actor. "Marty Supreme", with Best Actor contender Timothee Chalamet, is in theaters. This two and a half-hour saga of table tennis player Marty Mauser is far from perfect, but there's enough that works, especially Chalamet's performance, to make it worth your time.
I'm not that high on Paul Thomas Anderson’s generational crime dramedy "One Battle After Another" (on HBO Max), a classic case of style over substance and yet another showy performance from Leonardo DiCaprio. "The Secret Agent" (playing in theaters) is a mixed bag — the atmosphere of the tension in Brazil in 1977 is solid but the story, about political refugee Armando (played by Best Actor nominee Wagner Moura), is very stretched-out and lacks heft. And a surprise contemporary framework is a miss.
Guillermo Del Toro's "Frankenstein" (on Netflix) is as dull an interpretation of any classic story as I've ever seen. And talky sci-fi mystery "Bugonia" (on Peacock), is as messy, unsuccessful — and different just for the sake of being different — as Emma Stone and director Yorgos Lanthimos' previous collaborations, "Poor Things" and "Kinds of Kindness".
All 10 of this year's Best Picture nominees received at least four nominations, with five of these movies making-up the brand new Best Casting category, honoring the achievements of casting directors. So what will win big on Oscar night? I'll have my predictions closer to March 15th.
The views expressed by commentators are solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this station or its management.
