Every best picture nomination all at once
Charlie Deitchman '23
Executive Podcast Coordinator
Deitchman's recreation of the "Tar" movie poster
It’s awards season and that means it's time for Oscar nominations. If you don’t know, the Oscars is an annual award show put on by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (also known as “The Academy”). Every year, the best movies in Hollywood compete against each other to win the industry’s highest awards, the most prestigious being Best Picture.
The 2023 Best Picture nominees are “All Quiet on the Western Front,” “Avatar: The Way of Water,” “The Banshees of Inisherin,” “Elvis,” “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “The Fabelmans,” “Tár,” “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Triangle of Sadness” and “Women Talking.”
“All Quiet on the Western Front” is a German film that follows “a young German soldier’s terrifying experiences and distress on the western front during World War I” (IMDB). While the cinematography and acting in this film were amazing, I don’t think that it will win best picture. Other movies that are on the Best Picture list were more memorable and, with few exceptions (most recently, “Parasite”), foreign films typically don’t win Best Picture. However, I do think this film will win Best Foreign Film.
“The Banshees of Inisherin” is a dark comedy that follows two friends after one of them abruptly ends their friendship. I think that this film is a great contender for Best Picture. Although it was clear that I was not their target demographic, I was still able to appreciate Colin Farrell’s excellent performance along with an amazing script. I don’t think this film will win, but I would not be surprised or upset if it did.
Although many loved “Elvis,” I don’t think it should win Best Picture. Austin Butler’s performance was great, as was its editing, but the movie itself was extremely flawed. Tom Hanks’ performance alone is reason enough for this movie not to be nominated, and the way the film was written did not give you any sense of what Elvis himself was feeling. Maybe it would have felt more deserving of a nomination if the whole movie was filmed more like its final scene, intercutting the real Elvis with Austin Butler’s Elvis.
“The Fabelmans,” “Women Talking” and “Triangle of Sadness” were all good movies but I don’t think any of them will win. “The Fabelmans” had great directing, acting, and writing, but the film itself failed to blow me away and did not stand out from other movies that have been made before. “Women Talking” had an amazing script and performances but it felt like it was made for the stage rather than the screen. “Triangle of Sadness” was good, but was not talked about or seen enough for it to have a real chance of winning.
“Tár” centers around Lydia Tár, a renowned female composer-conductor, and follows her as her life begins to crumble and she slowly loses herself. Honestly, this movie is so hard to explain because it was so confusing. The script was great and Cate Blanchett gave an amazing performance, but the film itself was extremely flawed; “Tár” tried to be surreal, but ended up just being hard to understand and difficult to follow.
I don’t think either “Avatar: The Way of Water” or “Top Gun: Maverick” will win. Both feel like big block-buster movies thrown into the category as praise for the revenue they brought into the box office, and not the actual quality of the movie.
Both my pick for Best Picture and the one that I think will win is “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” “Everything Everywhere All at Once” follows “a middle-aged Chinese immigrant [who] is swept up into an insane adventure in which she alone can save existence by exploring other universes and connecting with the lives she could have led” (IMDB). The film shows the complexities of a mother-daughter relationship, as well as depicts the struggles of mental health.
Everything about this movie is amazing from the acting, writing and directing to the hair and makeup, costuming and editing. “Everything Everywhere All at Once” shows the creativity and originality that the film industry was made for, and also proves that a large budget is not necessarily needed to make an incredible film.
As for this year’s Oscar snubs, “Aftersun” was a big one. The story of “shared joy and private melancholy” between a young father and daughter was full of great performances, scripts and directing. Paul Mescal got a nomination for Best Lead Actor from this film, but I would have also given it a nomination for Best Picture instead of movies like “Elvis” or “Avatar,” along with a nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
Furthermore, instead of Andrea Riseborough’s nomination for Best Lead Actress, I would have given Taylor Russell one for her role in “Bones and All,” a movie that I think was overlooked as a whole.
Finally, despite its already monumental 11 nominations, I think “Everything Everywhere All at Once” was robbed of a Best Makeup and Hairstyling award. It is an injustice to Joy’s bagel hair alone.
Overall, I think the Oscars are looking pretty strong this year. With so many great movies going head to head, I am looking forward to seeing who “the Oscar goes to…” in every category.