2023 Oscars

 

It is already time for the Oscars and this year I have my lowest percentage on the Best Picture nominees that I have had in many years – just two of the ten!  However, most of them are easily accessible on streaming services now, so I will try to at least fast forward through them prior to the ceremony.

Top Gun Maverick:  I just never got around to this one. It’s streaming now on Paramount Plus I believe, and I still haven’t made the time.  I was never a huge fan of the first Top Gun and this one just never did anything for me. It is possible I will check it out before the ceremony, but chances are slim.  I understand it looks great and was a big blockbuster, but I figure once you’ve seen Tom Cruise fly a plane really fast once, you’ve seen it enough.

Triangle of Sadness: Not going to lie to you – I genuinely had not heard of this until this month.  Apparently it is about a cruise for the super-rich and is a commentary on wealth and class.  It’s currently streaming on Hulu – so it’s even easier to check out! Will I? Probably not!

Elvis: Baz Luhrmann’s take on Elvis’s story and his relationship with Colonel Tom Parker that required Austin Butler to dive so deep into Elvis-speak that he just talks that way permanently now. An interesting side fact that seems to be what is discussed more than the movie itself.  It’s on HBOMax, and I have liked some of Baz Luhrmann’s pieces in the past, well, I liked Strictly Ballroom and Moulin Rouge, the others, not so much.  I never really enjoyed Elvis or his music, so I did not feel especially motivated to see this one.

Women Talking:  Directed by Sarah Polley, This is the obligatory Frances McDormand depressing Oscar piece and in this one, she and other women play members of an isolated religious colony. The men have drugged and raped the women and this features them discussing what to do.  This sounds very upsetting, and while the performances might be amazing – it’s going to be a very tough watch.  You can stream it on Amazon Prime.

The Fabelmans: This is Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical movie about his upbringing and his love of movies that lead him to become one of our most notable movie directors.  I did get this trailer confused with the trailer for Armageddon Time and thought they were the same movie for a bit. You can rent it on Amazon Prime and I may check this one out at some point. Spielberg is a great director, and I am intrigued about his presentation of his youth and formation.

Tar: In this movie, Cate Blanchett plays Lydia Tar, who is considered one of the greatest living composer/conductors. As she is preparing to recording the symphony of her life, the universe seems to be against her. This is one of those movies where as soon as I saw the trailer, I figured it would get nominated. It’s a showcase piece for Blanchett, who deserves it – but I still have no interest in watching it.

Everything Everywhere All At Once:  I actually saw this in the theater when it first came out in April of last year and gave it 9 out of 10 – that’s how ahead of the game I was on this one!  I loved it and thought it was different and lovely and interesting and fun.  But I did think it was a version of The One with Jet Li.  Michelle Yeoh is a treasure and Ke Huy Quan is incredible. The movie is complicated and visually amazing, but at its core is about the love and appreciation of family. If multiverse surrealism is not your cup of tea, this may be too much for you – but it is definitely worth a watch. It has a limited rerelease back in theaters.  Also, Michelle Yeoh is a lock for best actress and man, does she earn it in this piece.

All Quiet on the Western Front: Yes, this is the fourth movie version of this, because it’s a proven work. This version ups the quality of the visuals and features Daniel Bruhl, so if you want another version, or enjoy WW1 movies, this one is for you. Definitely not for me.

The Banshees of Inisherin: Martin McDonagh takes Brendan Gleesan and Colin Farrell out of Bruges and dumps them in an isolated Irish town where Gleesan’s character decides to end their friendship. This is another one where the trailer made it very clear this would get nominated for multiple awards. It feels crafted as an actor showpiece, and again, both these guys are great and deliver wonderful performances, but not in something I want to see. It’s on HBOMax now, so you can watch these two slowly hate each other in the comfort of your own home!

Avatar The Way of Water: the second of the list I saw in the theater!  I honestly did not write a review of it, because I could not think of anything to say. It looks great. It’s beautiful and I saw it in 3D, so it looked even better. James Cameron really stepped up his game on the visuals.  In terms of the story, well, it felt the same as the original, so nothing new. I tuned out anytime the characters were standing around talking and the stunning visuals were not the centerpiece.  Plus, the beautiful establishment of the whale creatures as characters the people spoke with and related to only to brutally murder a mother and calf was just too much for me and felt unnecessary. We already understand how terrible the colonists are – did we need that to prove it again? And how dare you rope Jemaine Clement into that!

In terms of my favorites from last year, in case you were wondering what I saw instead of those eight others, here’s my list – in reverse order of love!

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent: Nicholas Cage plays Nic Cage hired by Pedro Pascal to come hang out with him and chaos ensues.  This movie is so random and fun and shows that Nic Cage can poke fun at some of the ridiculousness of his own life.  It’s bizarre and charming and definitely worth checking out.

Fresh: I happened across this on Hulu and I have to tell you, what a random and terrifying little horror/thriller gem. I do not typically enjoy horror, but I do enjoy Sebastian Stan, so I watched this and was glad I did.

Everything Everywhere All At Once: As mentioned – I really liked this movie. It’s rare that the Oscars list and my list cross over, but this is really fantastic and I recommend it.

Here clustered at the top are the MCU releases for the year – Yes, I loved all of them. I found Thor Love and Thunder fun and silly. I really enjoyed Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which added some Sam Raimi horror/comedy to what could have started to feel stale. But the absolute top of the year for me was Black Panther Wakanda Forever. Angela Basset is definitely going to win Best Supporting Actress because my goodness – she is incredible in this.  I loved the movie as a whole, even though it was not flawless (there’s way too much Riri – didn’t need all that), but the introduction of Namor, his background and people – the stunning costumes and settings, the way Ryan Coogler was able to handle the near-impossible task of the loss of Chadwick Boseman while allowing Letita Wright’s Shuri to step up and fully into her leadership role on multiple levels – it was fantastic and I loved it.  My favorite of the year.

Just about everything I saw last year was at least entertaining – there were a few that were not great, but nothing I hated!  Jurassic World Dominon had some cool dinosaurs and brought back the original trio – but slowed itself down with side quests (locusts?) and too many humans.  Death on the Nile was slow but had some fun bits. Moonfall was ridiculous but featured some really cool shots of the moon lurking closer and then rising in a really intimidating way as it got too close!  AmbuLAnce had some quality downtown LA Bayhem. And Morbius, oh Morbius – what a beautiful mess that was!  Certainly a character Jared Leto was meant to play, but not entirely sure that movie knew what it was doing.

There’s a quick summary of last year cinematically and hopefully provides you a couple of things to add to your watchlist!