Anonymous wrote:Although I'm sure it won't win because of Oscar politics, I urge folks here to see a nominated film that hasn't been mentioned in the thread and which is a brilliantly written story of marriage directed by a female and with fantastic performances especially from Sandra Huller - Anatomy of a Fall. The film is mixed English and French, so you will need to read subtitles for portions of it.

It was so harrowing and good.

I wonder if it's got a chance of winning actually - it feels like a year with a lot of vote splitting.

My heart wants American Fiction or The Holdovers - I have a type! - but I think it'll be Oppenheimer.

I saw all the movies up for best picture this year except Maestro and Zone of Interest (I'd like to see ZoI in theory but I'm not sure I'll be able to take it right now, as a Jew living through These Times). Of the ones I've seen, there isn't a single one I'd be mad about winning. It was a good year for movies.

Past Lives - surprising and awesome
American Fiction - very funny and very smart, but they could have left out the whole book thing and it would have been a better movie about the family
Barbie - cute but come on, best picture?
Oppenheimer - long, good but not amazing or even that memorable
Poor Things - hated it!
Anatomy of a Fall - can’t wait to see it
Maestro - looks bad
Killers of the Flower Moon - looks REALLY BAD

Anonymous wrote:Oppenheimer was BORING!

You’re boring. I was captivated from start to finish.

Anyway, there is only one answer here — Oppenheimer should win Best Picture. It is far and away the best film made in 2023.

Loved American Fiction but not Oscar worthy, IMO.
Poor Things was creative and different but a little too long and trying too hard.
Maestro was excellent. Great cinematography and acting by the leads.
Barbie was great but a little too long. But very very creative with a fun message.
I thought that Zone of Interest was powerful and deserves some award.
The foreign film- a beautiful day was lovely.
I didn’t see killers or openheimer
Anatomy of a fall was good

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:American Fiction was by far the best film but is politically problematic so can’t win. Safe bet is Oppenheimer, which imo was wildly overrated. Hollywood will love it because it went with the blacklist / communist angle which is still a big deal.

American Fiction was so incredibly boring. Literally a dude in the theatre with me fell asleep (and was snoring loudly) at the matinee showing I went to.

We should definitely rank a movie based on one random dude in a theater who was tired. Thanks for weighing in.

OP

I’m not basing it on him. I thought it was boring too (and said so). The movie has nothing interesting to say if you’re an adult who’s been even mildly paying attention to identity politics. Like, for whom is this story revelatory? If it had come out a decade ago, maybe it would be relevant and sharp. Now it’s just trite and boring.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Although I'm sure it won't win because of Oscar politics, I urge folks here to see a nominated film that hasn't been mentioned in the thread and which is a brilliantly written story of marriage directed by a female and with fantastic performances especially from Sandra Huller - Anatomy of a Fall. The film is mixed English and French, so you will need to read subtitles for portions of it.

This was good and I adore Sandra Huller (loved her in Toni Erdmann).
But I don't think it's worthy of Best Picture. It felt too much like a "TV movie" (a courtroom drama) than a cinematic experience.

Tell that to Ordinary People and Kramer v. Kramer.

Some of the best films are serious dramas set in small spaces.

Well, I agree. And I liked Kramer vs. Kramer a lot. Anatomy was just too melodramatic.

I loved American Fiction.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oppenheimer was wildly overrated. Loved The Holdovers and I think PG has an excellent chance at best actor for that. American Fiction was one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time though it won’t win anything because it’s politically problematic. Have not seen any of the others.

If it’s political it might win. HW picks the weird ones.

A good example Moonlight. Bad acting, bad directing and horrible story and wins BP and Best Supporting Actor.

Anonymous wrote:Oppenheimer was wildly overrated. Loved The Holdovers and I think PG has an excellent chance at best actor for that. American Fiction was one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time though it won’t win anything because it’s politically problematic. Have not seen any of the others.

If it’s political it might win. HW picks the weird ones.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow, Maestro was my least favourite.

My number one is Killers of the Flower Moon, followed by Past Lives. I think Killers of the Flower Moon and Oppenheimer will take home most of the awards, Paul G may win for the Holdovers and Emma Stone for Poor Things.

Lily Gladstone should win for best actress, but the script was pretty bad. The move seemed like a wrestling match between the egos of Leo and Robert.

+1

Lily Gladstone was great but KOTFM was so problematic in every other aspect. It centered on Leo’s buffoonish character, had a terrible script that was really hard to follow at times, and never fleshed out the Osage characters except Lily’s. It was so disappointing and just another vehicle for Robert DeNiro to scowl (although I actually did think it was one of his better acting performances in recent years. But it was still just lots of scowling).

Oppenheimer was wildly overrated. Loved The Holdovers and I think PG has an excellent chance at best actor for that. American Fiction was one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time though it won’t win anything because it’s politically problematic. Have not seen any of the others.

I actually thought Maestro was the best film. I’ve seen them all.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Although I'm sure it won't win because of Oscar politics, I urge folks here to see a nominated film that hasn't been mentioned in the thread and which is a brilliantly written story of marriage directed by a female and with fantastic performances especially from Sandra Huller - Anatomy of a Fall. The film is mixed English and French, so you will need to read subtitles for portions of it.

This was good and I adore Sandra Huller (loved her in Toni Erdmann).
But I don't think it's worthy of Best Picture. It felt too much like a "TV movie" (a courtroom drama) than a cinematic experience.

Tell that to Ordinary People and Kramer v. Kramer.

Some of the best films are serious dramas set in small spaces.

Anonymous wrote:Although I'm sure it won't win because of Oscar politics, I urge folks here to see a nominated film that hasn't been mentioned in the thread and which is a brilliantly written story of marriage directed by a female and with fantastic performances especially from Sandra Huller - Anatomy of a Fall. The film is mixed English and French, so you will need to read subtitles for portions of it.

This was good and I adore Sandra Huller (loved her in Toni Erdmann).
But I don't think it's worthy of Best Picture. It felt too much like a "TV movie" (a courtroom drama) than a cinematic experience.

Although I'm sure it won't win because of Oscar politics, I urge folks here to see a nominated film that hasn't been mentioned in the thread and which is a brilliantly written story of marriage directed by a female and with fantastic performances especially from Sandra Huller - Anatomy of a Fall. The film is mixed English and French, so you will need to read subtitles for portions of it.