I know what you’re thinking, release the ASBO cut. Soon, I promise. I’ve just been busy.
Award shows mean nothing. It’s true. I know every year I sit down and bemoan bad decisions of the Oscars, but really they do mean nothing, and yet that it’s not fully true. Would such an audience have found Parasite without it making the headlines? Would the resultant Squid Game have had the impact if Western viewers hadn’t being more open to Korean media. Heck, last years selection were such small films that anybody watching them as a result of hearing about them was a huge bonus. Yet, award shows mean nothing. This is especially true, not when popular films are chosen, but mediocre ones are given the spotlight, thus my mental requirement to tediously put together the ASBOs. Still, I’ll look at the nominations (Having actually seen most of the films before the ceremony this year) and say where I think the awards should go, before they are given out incorrectly this weekend.
Due to a lack of films seen in the categories, I won’t be picking any best short film. I’m also refusing to pick a best original song, because who cares.
Anyway, here are my picks based on the Oscar nominations, with it being more Spiderman: Nowhere To Be Seen
Best Visual Effects
This has basically become best popular film, because big loud bang make film good. This years plethora is no different. Free Guy had so much big glitzy things going on, I fell asleep while watching the movie and woke up the next morning (genuinely). No Time To Die was a decent effort, but the effects weren’t the most memorable part, just a couple of things blowing up. Then let’s pick a marvel, Shang Chi or Spiderman, two films with very competent supporting actors. Arguably, Spiderman was the best marvel, leaving it 50/50 with Dune. While Spidey is big and crashy with its weird wavy Doctor Strange world, Dune made a whole world and made me believe in it, feeling fear in the chaos.
Winner: Dune
Best Film Editing
I’m starting to understand what editing is. It’s how shots are sown together, so King Richard makes a girl look like she can play tennis. Don’t Look Up mish-mashes random scenes together so not that. Power of the dog put together scenes showing control well, with a wonderfully constructed last 10 minutes, so credit to that film, which is great. Dune felt well made, I didn’t feel man-handled along which you can during a sci-fi. However, Tick Tick… Boom!’s seamless transitions between stage and flashback was regularly a highlight and realty showed off Garfield in the best way possible, but we’ll talk about him later.
Winner: Tick, Tick… Boom!
Best Costume Design
In all of these films, people wear clothes. Cyrano wears generic old fashioned clothes which look nice. Again, this isn’t my speciality. In Dune, they’re believable. They also wear clothes in West Side Story, and do the swishy dress thing in America I guess. Nightmare Alley also has period piece clothes. However, the most comically creative and character showing clothes are in Cruella, a film about fashion which is so much better than it should be. The dresses are bad-ass and cool. So that one can win.
Winner: Cruella
Best Make Up and Hairstyling
Hey, let’s give Jared Leto a bald cap and fat suit, that’s movie, he puts on big Italian accent, acting. I haven’t seen Coming 2 America so can’t comment. Cruella yet again appears, and the use of hair to show Estella’s character is fun. In Dune, they have hair, it has lots of technical noms, but I’m not sure why on this. The Eyes of Tammy Faye gives Jessica Chastain such out there make up, making it representative of almost a mask. It’s a key part of her, and so well done.
Winner: The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Best Cinematography
This is basically which film looks pretty. Dune looks great and is immersive in its world. I also love West Side Story’s grittier feel and the atmosphere from the way it was shot is fantastic. Nightmare Alley used lighting to create a dark and mysterious noir story, while Tragedy of MacBeth’s plainer style allowed its actors to thrive. The Power of the Dog looked phenomenal, with its slow shots showing a beautiful landscape, and almost a trap. This is such a difficult category to decide, as all five deserve it. I think it’s between Power of the Dog and West Side Story and will slightly surprise myself.
Winner: West Side Story
Best Production Design
This is basically which set looks the nicest. Dune brought us a whole world, while West Side and Nightmare Alley took us to unique interesting places and set ups. Power of the Dog and Tragedy of MacBeth were much plainer in their approach, to their benefit. I think the top two are MacBeth and Nightmare Alley as both were captivating. However, while when I watched MacBeth, I was sure that would be the best, I have to give it to Del Toro’s dark fantasy.
Winner: Nightmare Alley
Best Sound
This is a tough one unless there is a stand out. Last year, Sound of Metal was brilliant, but this year, all are good. Power of the Dog uses volume in its big moments feeling claustrophobic thanks to Benedict’s banjo, while WSS uses its sound to create a fun atmosphere. No Time To Die and Belfast show sounds of conflict to good effect, however watching Dune in the cinema and feeling the vibration to my bones was such a brilliant experience it has to win.
Winner: Dune
Best Original Score
So I haven’t seen Encanto yet (That’s right, I haven’t talked about Bruno.) and Don’t Look Up is just okay, which leaves us with a varied and interesting three horse race. Dune privides the big epic Hans Zimmer score. I absolutely loved Parallel Mothers’ almost old fashioned heavier score playing during the big scenes. The Power of the Dog’s guitar songs were great and really stuck with the movie. It’s a really tight call, but I think I’ll give it to Dune again.
Best International Film
Unfortunately, Lunana Yak in the classroom hasn’t had a UK wide release, so I haven’t seen the Bhutanese film. The Worst Person In the World was a well made film about a woman who seems to screw her life up with bad choices. It was engaging. Italy’s The Hand of God was a beautiful calm film about finding yourself in a chaotic world, and a belief in hope and miracles. I really can’t remember much, but enjoyed the calm feeling. Denmark’s Flee was phenomenal. An animated documentary about a refugee’s journey from Afghanistan to Denmark as a child, it’s a phenomenal intimate piece. However, Drive My Car is on another level from these films. The slow burning three hour long film in which people mostly talk in a car is just incredible in its script and acting. I was totally entranced, and its Best Picture nomination was well deserved.
Winner: Drive My Car
Best Animated Film
I feel like I’m the only person who hasn’t seen Encanto. I don’t really care as it looks a fairly by the numbers Disney, but I’m glad it’s found an audience who are passionate. It must be better than the annoying mediocre Raya and the Last Dragon. Mitchells vs the Machines was fun in the first half as this tech-apocalypse had a fun style, much like Spiderverse. The second half fell into bang bang crash territory, which I didn’t care for as much. Luca was a Disney I adored. Its simple low stakes fun and bright charming colour scheme was a delight. However, flee’s beautiful 2d style allowing its subject to remain anonymous, while portraying his emotion and allowing us to see trauma in a way where we don’t block it means it has to win.
Winner: Flee
Best Adapted Screenplay
This is a really solid category this year. CODA is a really fun sweet film, written with good heart yet never patronising. Sure, The Lost Daughter is uneven at times, but Olivia Coleman is given a fantastic character to work with, and the tension and mystery are sublime. Power of the Dog is great, but did I love the script as much as Benedict loved Bronco Henry, probably not. It was the quieter parts which made it so good. Dune had a great effort at a challenging material, although its ending was abrupt and in my review I mention I felt that things could’ve been structured better for pay offs. There is only one winner in this category and it’s Drive My Car. Every line is packed with such meaning, whether spoken or in the background. It really is the best screenplay I’ve watched possibly ever. Seriously, watch this film.
Winner: Drive My Car
Best Original Screenplay
If Adapted was solid, this is appalling. Licorice Pizza was a bunch of boring scenes put together to look like a film with very few endearing moments. Don’t Look Up is short for don’t look up from what you’re doing because this script is dull. King Richard was the most cringeworthy Oscar bait formulaic nonsense providing no justification for the actions of Richard Williams. Belfast was sweet, but incredibly fluffy. The one saving grace in this category is Norwegian film The Worst Person In The World, which follows a woman in her early thirties as she makes wrong decision after wrong decision with eventual devastating consequence.
Winner: The Worst Person In The World
Best Documentary
I’ve only seen 3 of these, so sorry to Ascension and Attica. Writing With Fire is an empowering piece about female journalists in India. It’s a decent watch but didn’t grab me like the other two. Summer of Soul is a great movie. As a music documentary it shows a time, a place and a theme integrated within it and is a brilliant watch. However, my pick will have to be Flee, an animated documentary which allowed its subject anonymity, yet was an emotional personal movie.
Best Supporting Actress
Most of the acting categories are odd this year, with their decisions to skip lots of the big films. The Lost Daughter was generally forgotten other than acting and Jessie Buckley is fine, although I found her bits the weaker parts of the film as they dragged. I had to google Aunjanue Ellis to work out who she played. She’s the King Richard wife. She’s fine, but nothing to write home about. Judi Dench was a case of right film, wrong actor for Belfast. Catriona Balfe was much better in the film, but Dench a big name. She did make me chuckle, but is an odd choice. If Ariana DeBose and Nicole Kidman win Oscars (a real possibility), I will feel some vindication for saying that I enjoyed The Prom as two actresses from that will have been academy award winners, but I don’t feel she stole the show.
Kirsten Dunst was great as Rose, the victim of Phil Burbank’s psychological torture. I felt her fear, it was palpable, and actually Power of the Dog had some of the strongest acting performances of the year, including her.
Winner: Kirsten Dunst, Power of the Dog
Best Supporting Actor
Lets get the fact that JK Simmons was nominated out of the way. It’s a case of popular Oscar voter actor from Whiplash keeping the momentum, undeservedly. Riccardos wasn’t quite my tempo. Ciaran Hinds was fine as Pop in Belfast, the grandfather. He was sweet, but Jamie Dornan was much better as his son. Two Power of the Dog nominees were nominated, former ASBO nominee Jesse Plemons downgrading to a second rate award this year, while Kodi Smit-McPhee as his step son Peter was phenomenal in his quiet role.
It’s between him and Troy Kotsur, who plays Frank Rossi in CODA. He brings the heart and so much comedy, as everyone in the film is wonderful. Comparing these two is so difficult, as their performances are so different, and one not being chosen means its worse than the other. Who knows, maybe I’ll change my mind before I press publish. No, I changed my mind. It’s POTD.
Winner: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Power of the Dog
Best Actress
With zero best picture nominees, this category really is an odd one this year, with lots of great performances in good movies. That certainly applies for Penelope Cruz, who plays a mother who has her child swapped at birth. She is great, and I totally buy her performance, the sub story seeming weird but that’s not down to her. Olivia Coleman was brilliant in The Lost Daughter. He scenes were elevated much more than those without her in, as a mother who didn’t like motherhood. Nicole Kidman was fine as Lucille Ball, but nowhere near anyone else on this list. I adored Jessica Chastain in Tammy Faye, playing the titular televangelist who looked to love everyone and just wanted to be accepted. It was a shame the script was just fine, but to her credit she was above it. However, Kristen Stewart in Spencer was brilliant. The whole film was really good and Stewarts performance as Lady Diana was top notch.
Winner: Kristen Stewart, Spencer, Runner Up: Jessica Chastain, Eyes of Tammy Faye
Best Actor
There are only two best picture nominees in this list which is really odd. However, that doesn’t make the list weak. Bardem, being the Riccardos, pass. My controversial opinion of the year is that Will Smith wasn’t anything special. I felt he played a stereotypical Smith character which didn’t stretch him and was a shallow awardsy caricature without challenging his source material. Denzel Washington is good in Tragedy of Macbeth as the titular character. However, other than a set of monologues, he doesn’t do too much more.
The two best contenders for this award are vastly different. Benedict Cumberbatch as a psychotic cowboy in a psychological thriller/love story is so strong using his expression to create fear in others, so much so you feel nervous when he’s not there. Andrew Garfield plays Jonathan Larson, a struggling musical writer who sees his passion lead to deteriorations in his relationships with others. All singing and all dancing, is there anything he can’t do (apart from save Lois Lane). Cumberbatch character created fear which permeates through the film and as more layers of his character are revealed, he navigates these with seamless fluidity. This is such a tight decision, but I think I’ll give it to Garfield, only just.
Winner: Andrew Garfield, Tick, Tick… BOOM!, Runner up Benedict Cumerbatch
Best Director
So who was best at getting everything together. Paul Thomas Anderson’s Licorice Pizza was a good effort, but a bit of a mess. Keneth Branagh gives it a go with Belfast, and while managing his actors and shots well, his script stopped him from being able to master his craft. Stephen Spielberg uses his experience to great effect to create an immersive experience in West Side Story.
Two people who bring their films beautifully together are Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Jane Campion for Drive My Car and Power Of The Dog respectively. DMC is a near perfect masterpiece which could’ve been meandering but Hamaguchi keeps it tight. POTD while being slow in the middle looks and feels beautiful. Each element of the film is perfectly crafted and Jane Campion was brilliant at bringing it all together.
Winner: Jane Campion, Power of the Dog
Best Picture
This years 10 is interesting. While three of the films are phenomenal, another five are all okay. There is just an awful lot of fluff. Compared to last year’s interesting, diverse set of movies, this set feel much dryer. Despite this, there certainly are gems to be found.
I mean, is this even an okay film? Adam McKay’s attempt at an apocalyptic film may have come out at the wrong time to show how we would respond to a panic-based event The film sees two scientist try and get the world to deal with an asteroid heading to earth, yet the world won’t comply. The humour of this film is limp, the acting is non-committal and the writing is generally poor. (Available on Netflix)
It’s a template sports biopic. The film about Serena and Venus’ dad (not them, their Dad) is totally okay for an easy Channel 4 Sunday Afternoon film. However, a far too cliched script, a hollow character and an overbearing soundtrack made the film incredibly difficult to like and much easier not to like. (Available to purchase)
8) Liquorice Pizza
The film that Tik Tok hates, Liquorice Pizza is a 70’s teenage version of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. Some rough back seat plot linking a bunch of random scenes which are atmospheric if nothing else. The problem is that while the film looked nice, its message became far too diluted and there isn’t much for those who aren’t fans of the era/director. I just didn’t feel any warmth towards this film.
Arguably the biggest crowd pleaser from a UK perspective, Belfast is a British (check) autobiography (check) in black and white (check) with a lot of humour (check) with Judi Dench (check). Was it a bad film? No. However, it’s overly soft and sentimental perspective was a tad annoying at times and the film felt a bit too fluffy while refusing to go properly into its subject area. (Available to Purchase)
6) Nightmare Alley
Just happy to be nominated, Nightmare Alley kind of came out of nowhere and it’s a good effort. Bradley Cooper plays a hustler who learns his trade in the circus before trying to con some of the biggest people in town. Cooper is good, Cate Blanchett is great and the look of the film is wonderful. The second half is definitely the best part, and apart from a rushed ending I enjoyed this when it got going. (Available on Disney+)
Technically, Dune was a fantastic film. It’s look, sound and feel was incredible. There is an awful lot it did well and it’s a worthy BP nominee. What I felt let it down was some of the story telling decisions which felt hap-hazard at the worst times, as well as the incredibly abrupt ending. Maybe when the sequel comes out, we can judge this film fully. Just now it feels incomplete. (Available to purchase)
4) CODA
A sweet indie family comedy, CODA has a lot going for it in its chances of winning best picture. The film about a girl with a passion for singing in a deaf family is a charming film. It made me laugh a few times and it hit the right tone with some great supporting acting from the two parents. Is it the darkest, most serious film of the year? No, however it did what it set out to do well. (Available on Apple TV+)
3) West Side Story
I really didn’t like the original WSS 60 years ago. However, this remake is so much better. The tone and production design were all spot on in a film made with a lot of love. Ariana Debose and Mike Faist were both fantastic and if we ignore Ansel Elgort and his inability to sing or dance we have an absolutely fantastic and polished musical which would be worthy of winning BP.
2) Power of the Dog
The film that is most likely to win tonight is one I don’t really want to. As a streaming film, it doesn’t work. The overly slow second act would lose me if watching at home. However this psychological Western which sees Benedict Cumberbatch bully his sister in law (more happens, but I’m not spoiling it) is brilliant. It stuck in my head for days after. The acting, cinematography, score, design and everything are perfectly crafted.
1) Drive My Car
I was getting ready to give Best Film ASBO to Drive My Car, but then those selfish jerks at the Oscars nominated it. The one top tier film to be nominated for BP this year, DMC is a Japanese slow burner about a man directing a play while mourning his wife by listening to tapes of her when being driven back and forth. Yet it’s so much more. Slow and deliberate, DMC is a film where no scene feels wasted. Each line says something. The acting is understated with a script not telling you how they feel but very clearly showing how they fill. At three hours, this film was a significant endeavour, but my goodness it flew by, and that last scene is simply breath-taking. There is no chance this film wins tonight, but we can always hope as it would be well deserved.
So, my split is
3 – Drive My Car/ Dune/ Power Of The Dog
2 – Flee/ Tick, Tick… BOOM!
1 – Cruella/ The Eyes of Tammy Faye/ Nightmare Alley/ Spencer / West Side Story/ The Worst Person In The World
The Film Ramble 