The main event at the 95th Academy Awards is a mixture of blockbusters, little films that could, obligatory war films, and the esoteric.
Since the expansion from five films to 10, the recognition of box office stars alongside critical favourites has increased. This year was a particularly strong example of that, with Top Gun: Maverick and Avatar: The Way of the Water being the first two legitimate blockbusters following two years of pandemic lockdowns and restrictions.
Indeed, with the exception of one or two of these films, everything here is about the cinematic experience. There’s multiversal clashes, aerial dogfights, underwater effects, arena spectaculars, and full scale wars. Indeed, what is The Fabelmans if not a heartfelt love letter to cinema itself?
Whether all of this is an example of the decline of the quality of nominees, as some have argued in detail, is a subject of some debate. Either way, we can conclusively say that the last few years have changed the nature of the industry. Like the pandemic itself, the long term effects are yet to be seen.
And the nominees are:
Everything Everywhere All At Once
If you think you’ve already traversed the multiverse, think again. It’s safe to say you’ve not seen another film quite like this.
It is difficult to classify the Daniels’ film into a single genre. From the moment a fight breaks out in an office block — an original combination of a chapstick, a bum bag and some throwback kung fu — EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE lives up to its name. It flips universes like it is changing channels.
There are times where it almost feels as though the Daniels have gone into a universe where shark jumping is the norm. Yet thanks to a family drama that’s grounding the script, every ridiculous non sequitur kind of makes its own version of sense. So, as the film builds to a crescendo of simultaneous fight sequences, rapid-fire scene switching and frankfurter funnies, you might just find you’ve have been watching one of the most original films of the year. Read my full review.
The Banshees of Inisherin
Films about depression, at least the ones that really dig a little deeper and understand it, are few and far between. What Martin McDonagh has done here is interrogate it for men of a certain age.
It captures the loneliness, the complexity, and the often bleakly hilarious interstitial moments that snapshot a period of prolonged melancholia. It gets the helpless feeling of onlookers and the well-meaning mistakes. It understands that friendships sometimes just take a turn. You might see this as either nihilistic or hopeful, but that’s kind of the point. Now, take that and filter it through an allegory for the Irish Civil War and you have yourself an Oscar contender.
Stunning performances from the two leads, while Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan in particular should earn all of the supporting awards for the season. After watching this, you may need to eat a piece of fruit and watch something joyful. Still, one imagines it will linger on the tip of brain for a while.
Top Gun: Maverick
One can’t help but feel that this nomination, along with Avatar: Way of the Water, was just a ‘thank you’ to a film that helped bring people back to the box office.
Joseph Kosinski and Tom Cruise delivered something that is every inch the throwback blockbuster we needed this to be. It takes what it needs from the 80s (right down to sweaty beach games and dangerous zones), and the sports movie formula, and transplants it seamlessly into a contemporary setting. The dogfights are nothing short of spectacular and the last 30 minutes will have you white-knuckling all the way to the credits. What a blast. Check out my longer review with even more words!
All Quiet on the Western Front
Hollywood loves films about war, and you can almost guarantee that the big scale World War Film will be on the nominees list each year.
Magnificently shot, with an immersive soundscape, and an impeccable score, this is certainly one of the best films about the horrors of war of the last few years.
In fact, if I you haven’t watched the 1930 version recently – an interpretation that was made within living memory of the war it depicts – you might even consider this to be one of the best films about war full stop.
Painting on about the same length of canvas as Lewis Milestone, director Berger has unquestionably brought a modern grandeur to a tale that is (sadly) as relevant today as it was when Erich Maria Remarque’s book was first published in 1928. If this doesn’t take best picture, expect to hear the name when they open the envelope for Best International picture.
Women Talking
Even with its incredibly stagey and measured pace, director Sarah Polley’s film — her fourth as a director — is captivating from start to finish.
In the aftermath of revelations that the men of a Mennonite community have been drugging and raping the women, the latter group meets to discuss whether they will forgive and stay or be forced to leave.
Based on the Miriam Toews novel of the same name, the period and setting do little to disguise this for what it is: a microcosm of a broader systemic issue. Given the cast — Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Judith Ivey, Ben Whishaw, and Oscar staple Frances McDormand — amazing performances are a given.
This may seem like the smallest of the group, and perhaps closer to a theatre production when compared with the very cinematic leanings of the rest of the group. Yet it is definitely one of the most powerful, and may surprise us all on the day.
The Fabelmans
For many of us, Steven Spielberg was one of our earliest teachers of the lesson called ‘Cinema is Magic.’ His cinematic avatar Sammy (Sam!) Fabelman learns this lesson hard and fast in the wonderful first act of this semi-autobiographical film, one that repeatedly reminds us of why we love movies.
There’s some other terrific stuff in here too, not least of which is a collection of outstanding performances and a timely examination of everyday antisemitism in the US. Yet it’s also a film that both meanders and hurries through its second and third act at times, leaping through some pivotal moments while drifting along aimlessly at others.
There are times when whole sections and people feel like they’ve wandered in from another picture. There’s a near-mawkish sentimentality in the third act as well, although it is Spielberg. The final kicker, featuring an excellent cameo in the backlots, is pure gold though.
Avatar: Way of the Water
Starting at the top, this is hands-down the peak of special effects and technical action filmmaking to this point. Certainly one of the prettiest flicks James Cameron has made, you will believe a Na’vi can fly (and swim). It hits the ground running, allows itself some time to play in this rich world, and cracks along at a pace in the final act. Unsurprisingly, this is where we really dip into Cameron’s favourite friend: the seas.
Yet it also suffers many of the same issues as the first film. The length is intimidating, but par for the course for modern event films. An elongated and leisurely second act gives way to a literal remake of the original, swapping Unobtainium for Whale Brain Goo. Hell, even the dialogue is basically the same.
On the flip side of the visual, I saw this in HFR 3D and it was a bit problematic. The shift from 24fps to the HFR is jarring, and feels like we’re stepping into a video game cutscene more often than not. A lot has changed in our reverence for new cinema technology in the last 14 years.
Ultimately, I didn’t mind this. I reckon if I rewatch this at a consistent frame-rate on home release, some of these issues will literally smooth out. Either way, we’re in for the long haul now with another three sequels on the way.
Elvis
A simple story of how a young man fought the societal stigma against wiggling, even if it ultimately killed him.
Baz Luhrmann telling the story of Elvis Presley (played by nominee Austin Butler) goes exactly as you’d imagine. It’s big, it’s bold, it’s colourful, and it spins a lot. While some have argued that it’s more about Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks under heavy makeup) than it is about the ‘King’ — and it glosses over a fair chunk of reality.
That said, reality has never been Luhrmann’s stock in trade. If you’re looking for a hyperkinetic montage set to the music of Elvis — a little less conversation and a little more action as it were — then this is undoubtedly in your wheelhouse.
Triangle of Sadness
Sometimes I’m surprised when something as well received as this doesn’t float my boat, as it were.
Case in point is this, which was in so many of my wheelhouses that it may have topped a list in another age and time. It’s got some terrific #cruiselife moments. It’s got an Eat the Rich motif which I’m all about. So, why did I find myself unable to connect with this?
Perhaps it’s because there is nothing especially subtle about it, repeatedly hitting us over the head with a satirical rock like we’re so many jungle-dwelling donkeys. (Sidebar: donkeys did not fare well in 2022 cinema). Or maybe it’s that for all the nudge-nudge-wink-winkery, there was nothing especially new to say. Indeed, in an age when the ultra rich buy entire media platforms, and then destroy them on a whim, the idle rich are not the ones we need to be worried about.
TÁR
My feelings on this film may get me struck off the lists of all the fancy establishments.
Don’t get me wrong: this is a fine performance piece, especially for Cate Blanchett. As one would expect, she commands every scene that she’s in, which is pretty much every scene of this three hour prestige drama. In fact, she completely disappears into a role that’s not wholly unlikeable, but certainly has a complex relationship with the world around her.
Still, after reading all the critical analyses and such, I still don’t feel like I’m any closer to connecting with the film’s lengthy and measured pace. It’s an exploration of ‘cancel culture’ that we’ve seen so many times before. Although if last year’s ceremony is anything to go by, the Academy doesn’t fully comprehend it either.
