As most of you probably know by now, I’m not really super into sportsball, but I do approach the Academy Awards as if they were The Big Game. I have a very detailed spreadsheet that I’d be happy to show off. So far, I have seen just under half of the 39 feature films that are up for Oscars (I aspire to have seen 2/3 of them before March 12). Omitting documentaries, here are my reviews of the films I have seen thus far (in varying levels of seriousness and sarcasm). I’ve also made a note of violence levels, because I personally prefer to have a heads’ up about it going in. I definitely don’t endorse all of these films, but I’d love to discuss any of them with you if you’ve seen them!
All Quiet on the Western Front (streams on netflix)
2.5 hours of WWI trench warfare with a bonus subplot about the signing of the armistice; based on the seminal anti-war novel of the same name but missing its (in my opinion) most moving chapters
*very graphically violent, in sometimes very creative ways
Argentina, 1985 (streams on amazon prime)
an understated court drama based on the historic trial of Argentine leaders responsible for genocide and crimes against humanity; in Spanish (or dubbed in English)
*not visually graphic or gruesome, but still intense
Avatar: The Way of Water (in theaters)
Despite losing in the first movie (in which General What’s-His-Face died), humans come back to Pandora, guns a-blazing (led by General What’s-His-Face, who is alive but blue now) to mine for another vague sci-fi resource; meanwhile the main blue people move in with some greenish blue people and spend most of the movie hanging out with gorgeously rendered CGI fish.
The Banshees of Inisherin (available as a digital rental)
a dark “comedy” (read: horror) with great acting, dialogue, and accents, but also a body count (it’s a good movie, but don’t go into it thinking it’s a lighthearted comedy, no matter what vibe the trailer gives)
*there is some violence onscreen, but the worst violence is (thankfully) heard or implied rather than shown
Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths (streams on netflix)
A creative and visually striking (if often bewildering) piece of magical realism with layers of storytelling as a filmmaker reflects back on his life and relationships; in Spanish (or dubbed in English)
The Batman (available as a digital rental)
Robert Pattinson is a wealthy but reclusive Batman with more of a focus on detective work than flashy fight scenes
Blonde (streams on netflix)
I resent that this deeply sad movie presents itself as a biopic when it is actually based on a novel loosely inspired by the life of Marilyn Monroe
*violence, sexual assault, and bad history
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (streams on disney+)
Reeling from the loss of Chadwick Boseman/T’Challa, the women left behind grapple with grief, a new underwater threat, and growing unrest between Wakanda and other members of the UN
Elvis (available as a digital rental)
a vibrant biopic about Elvis and his ethically complicated manager; fantastic technical details in costumes, makeup/prosthetics, and sound in particular
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (streams on netflix)
A collection of wealthy and eccentric characters are invited to a *fancy* island; murder(s) get solved
Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio (streams on netflix)
A profoundly whiny wooden toy is chased around by a seemingly indestructible insect with occasional references to the plot of the original novel as everyone sings and dances about how war is hell, fascism is bad, and maybe we should all consider being less selfish
The Sea Beast (streams on netflix)
a kids’ movie about standing up for what you believe is right and having the courage to admit that you were wrong, with creatively designed cryptids, a great soundtrack, and striking animation
Tár (available as a digital rental)
Cate Blanchett plays a talented/conniving symphony conductor as her relationships start to collapse around her
Top Gun: Maverick (streams on paramount+)
planes go fast, Tom Cruise is cocky but more tolerable than in 1986, America beats an unspecified enemy (again)