Movies (and occasionally face slaps) (Part 1)

Arts & Entertainment
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My ranking of the 16 movies nominated for one of the 8 top Oscars:

  1. Judas and the Black Messiah – This felt like what BlacKKKlansman was supposed to be. A thought-provoking film with a gripping story and elite acting. And it pulled zero punches with regard to the subject matter. A masterpiece all around.
  2. Promising Young Woman – A unique and dark twist on female vulnerability and the MeToo era. Great acting and casting, and an unforgettable final act.
  3. One Night in Miami – Going into this film, I thought that the premise of four unrelated black people meeting in a hotel room was silly. The incredible dialogue that followed quickly captured my attention and never let go. I could have watched Malcolm X and Sam Cooke argue for the entire movie.
  4. The Father – This one is a bit personal for me as my wife’s grandmother had dementia. The writers here either had the same or really did their homework. Great acting performances too.
  5. Sound of Metal – A heartfelt look at deafness in a way that’s never been done before. I appreciated all of the twists and turns that this movie didn’t take.
  6. Minari – A slow paced but gripping movie of the “American Dream”. It’s a simple, organic story that can be both depressing and heartwarming.
  7. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – Great acting and great music. I can’t help but compare a lot of the dialogue to that of One Night in Miami, and this was the weaker of the two.
  8. Borat Subsequent Movie Film – I guess this goes here? It’s so unlike the other films that it’s difficult to place this. I enjoyed it. It wasn’t as strong as the first film.
  9. The White Tiger – It seems like there’s usually some movie that gets weirdly nominated for screenplay and nothing else. Looks like this year it’s The White Tiger. I read the book about a decade ago and it didn’t really hook me. I was much more invested here, despite some tired cliches.
  10. Nomadland – Maybe this should be higher, but part of me is really rebelling against all the awards love this is getting. I’m absolutely floored that this is a favorite for screenplay. It’s the weakest part of the film. The directing is outstanding, but nothing else really is. There are great films this year, and this is way too weak of a movie to get “Sweeps the Oscars” headlines.
  11. The Trial of the Chicago 7 – I’m not as much a fan of Sorkin’s shtick as many. The movie is captivating, but that ending is pure cringe.
  12. Mank – The most Oscar bait-y movie this year. “OMG it’s a movie about a Hollywood writer!” It was decent enough. The acting and cinematography were solid. Screenplay was uninspiring.
  13. Another Round – A well-directed midlife crisis film. Other than that, the script is a little silly and waffles between drama and comedy a bit too sharply for my liking.
  14. Pieces of a Woman – Some solid acting (even from Shia LaBeouf!) and an outstanding opening scene give me hope, but the film falls apart quickly after that.
  15. The United States vs Billie Holiday – Andra Day’s incredible performance is the only thing that’s redeemable about this film, which is otherwise a complete mess.
  16. Hillbilly Elegy – Based on what I’ve heard about the source material, I was expecting political schlock. Either it’s not in the book or Netflix/Ron Howard took it out, because there’s hardly any political message here. That said, this movie sucks for other reasons. It’s a nonsensical coming of age movie with cookie cutter characters that loses me in the first act.

Director:

No problem with Nomadland winning here. It deserves it. I’m going to hate when it wins everything else though.

  1. Zhao
  2. Fincher
  3. Chung
  4. Vinterberg
  5. Fennell

Actor:

I get that Chadwick Boseman is the lockest of locks, but I really think that he’s third best here. Though I can understand including external factors into the decision.

  1. Ahmed
  2. Hopkins
  3. Boseman
  4. Yeun
  5. Oldman

Actress:

Going by the odds, this is the most category that’s the most up in the air. Top 3 performances are all very strong and I won’t hate it if any of them win. It should be Mulligan though.

  1. Mulligan
  2. Day
  3. Davis
  4. Kirby
  5. McDormand

Supporting actor:

Kaluuya by a hair over Odom. They both shined in roles that could have gotten lost in the shuffle.

  1. Kaluuya
  2. Odom
  3. Raci
  4. Stanfield
  5. Cohen

Supporting actress:

As long as Glenn Close doesn’t win, I will be satisfied.

  1. Youn
  2. Seyfried
  3. Bakalova
  4. Colman
  5. Close

Original screenplay:

Extremely strong list of nominees.

  1. Promising Young Woman
  2. Judas and the Black Messiah
  3. Sound of Metal
  4. Minari
  5. The Trial of the Chicago 7

Adapted screenplay:

Much weaker list than original screenplay, but it would still be absurd for Nomadland to win.

  1. One Night in Miami
  2. The Father
  3. The White Tiger
  4. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
  5. Nomadland
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