2. Marty Supreme, Frankenstein, Hamnet
This year's nominees are:
4 nominations
- Picture
- Actress: Emma Stone (Poor Things, The Favourite, La La Land, Birdman or (the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance))
- Adapted Screenplay: Will Tracy (1st time nominee)
- Original Score: Jerskin Fendrix (Poor Things)
Cast: Stone, Jesse Plemons, Aidan Delbis, Stavros Halkias, Alicia Silverstone
Oof. This film is decidedly in conversation with Ari Aster's Eddington and Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle after Another, and while I think Bugonia is interested in ideas similar to those films, it's not nearly as interesting as those movies. In fact, I thought this was weirdly boring—I guess rather like having a conversation with a conspiracy theorist… or an apologist for fascism. It felt to me like being forced to listen to a racist or a conspiracy theorist's opinions for two hours (an activity I decidedly do not enjoy). Bugonia goes around in circles tracing loop after loop, and we hear the same things over and over, watch the same scene again and again. I think maybe there’s supposed to be dramatic tension at certain points, or suspense, maybe? I didn’t feel any of that. Actually, I have a feeling this was supposed to be funny, but I didn't do any laughing. This was not pleasurable to watch. A man a few rows in front of me was snoring loudly. As a rule I also dislike Emma Stone, and this might have had a good deal to do with my antipathy toward this. She just never seems like a real human person in her movies—which, I suppose is perfect for both Lanthimos in general and this film in particular. But I do wonder if I would have liked this movie better with a different actress than Emma Stone as the lead. It's possible, but I doubt it. I think the screenplay is just really boring. So much talking! No Oscars for Bugonia on the big night. Stone just won two years ago (for the second time), but more importantly both Jesse Plemons and Yorgos Lanthimos missed out on nominations, so that means that this movie—despite its nomination for Best Picture—clearly didn't connect with Academy voters as much as other films, even some of the other films with four nominations.
Will win: N/A
Could win: N/A
My rating: #83 out of 91
4 nominations
- Picture
- Actor: Wagner Moura (1st time nominee)
- International Feature: Brazil (I'm Still Here, Central Station, Four Days in September, O Qu4trilho, O Pagador de Promessas)
- Casting
Cast: Moura, Carlos Francisco, Tânia Maria, Robério Diógenes, Roney Villela, Gabriel Leone, Alice Carvalho, Hermila Guedes, Isabél Zuaa, Geane Albuquerque, Maria Fernanda Cândido, Thomás Aquino, Laura Lufési, Isadora Ruppert, Igor de Araújo, Ítalo Martins, Udo Kier
This is one of my favorite films of the year, and it almost was #1. It's a taut political thriller with a fantastic cast. Wagner Moura is wonderful. The best part of this, though, is Mendonça’s beautiful approach to memory and nostalgia. His shots are filled with ghosts (he has a great documentary called Pictures of Ghosts that functions as a companion piece to this), and his characters feel their histories pumping in their veins even if they can’t remember them or find their records. I love Mendonça's films, and I'm so glad that the Academy is finally recognizing his work. Go see this movie.
Will win: International Feature
Could win: N/A
My rating: #2 out of 91
4 nominations
- Picture
- Adapted Screenplay: Clint Bentley (Sing Sing) & Greg Kwedar (Sing Sing)
- Cinematography: Adolph Veloso (1st time nominee)
- Original Song – "Train Dreams": Nick Cave & Bryce Dessner (both 1st time nominees)
Cast: Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, Nathaniel Arcand, Clifton Collins Jr., John Diehl, Paul Schneider, Kerry Condon, William H. Macy, Will Patton, Alfred Hsing, David Paul Olsen, John Patrick Lowrie
This is so beautiful and simple and smart. It has a kind of Terrence Malick feel to it without the Malickian screenplay habits. And it's filled with memorable, gorgeous performances. In fact, I think Joel Edgerton only just missed out on his first (and long overdue) best actor nomination. Edgerton is a wonderful actor, and these awards bodies need to pay more attention to his excellent work. Most importantly for the big night, though, is the cinematography. Adolph Veloso really captures something here, and I think everyone expects him to take home the trophy. It's worth saying, also, that films like Train Dreams and F1 (we'll get to that in a day or two) are the reason we have ten slots for Best Picture these days. The point of having a category with ten nominees is so that a small picture that won't win best picture (and a big budget action movie that won't win best picture) can get recognized as one of the best movies of the year. And Train Dreams really is that.
Will win: Cinematography
Could win: N/A
My rating: #14 out of 91
More Oscar posts:
4. F1, Blue Moon, It Was Just an Accident
5. Sirāt, Avatar: Fire and Ash, K-Pop Demon Hunters
6. If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, Song Sung Blue, Weapons, The Voice of Hind Rajab
7. Arco, Elio, Zootopia 2, Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
8. Animated Short Films
9. Jurassic World: Rebirth, The Lost Bus, Kokuho, The Smashing Machine
10. The Ugly Stepsister, Diane Warren: Relentless, Viva Verdi!
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