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How are you ranking the Academy Award Nominated films

115.160.152.66
Posted on February 28, 2023 at 16:22:37
RGA
Reviewer

Posts: 15177
Location: Hong Kong
Joined: August 8, 2001
 So far I am a bit behind schedule only having seen 4.

So far

4) Top Gun: Maverick (***)
3) Avatar 2: The Way of Water (***)
2) Tar (***1/2)
1) Everything, Everywhere, All at Once (***1/2)

Granted I enjoy Science Fiction.

Remaining films:

Elvis
Banshees of Inisherin
All Quiet on the Western Front
The Fabelmans
Women Talking
Triangle of Sadness

 

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It's a mystery to me how..., posted on March 1, 2023 at 06:32:09
MaxwellP
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 Top Gun is even nominated for best picture. It's not.

 

RE: It's a mystery to me how..., posted on March 1, 2023 at 16:13:32
RGA
Reviewer

Posts: 15177
Location: Hong Kong
Joined: August 8, 2001
 I think they like to nominate the big budget and big money makers to get people to tune in like your sports team making the finals.

The broader the films the more chance you get bigger ratings. The problem is that most of the time you know who the front runners are and this year it isn't Maverick or Avatar.

But they will probably win some effects categories. I think Maverick is for the Republican viewership. Old White manly-man showing the young woke guys and girls how it's done!

 

RE: How are you ranking the Academy Award Nominated films, posted on March 1, 2023 at 16:16:30
tunenut
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Posts: 9172
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 For me, among the list of nominees, the one I liked all around was Tar, but I love classical music and it is rare to see it treated so seriously in a movie. I was surprised how much I liked Top Gun, and Avatar was a visual delight, but neither will or should win Best Picture. I was not a huge fan of Everything Everywhere- I think the multiverse has been done to death and done better by Rick and Morty. Women Talking seemed like it would have made a good talky stage play, not cinematic or very interesting to me. Banshees has a lot going for it, but I don't think it will quite win. I think Everything Everywhere and All Quiet are the ones with momentum. All Quiet swept the BAFTAs and it is extremely well done, an old fashioned war movie with a "war is hell" message that always resonates. I expect it probably to win.

 

RE: How are you ranking the Academy Award Nominated films, posted on March 2, 2023 at 05:10:07
RGA
Reviewer

Posts: 15177
Location: Hong Kong
Joined: August 8, 2001
 I would defend Everything because most sci-fi (multi-universe) has been done before - Star Trek, Doctor Who and so on. But then most good sci-fi just has this as a top layer.

AO Scott noted, "the movie is a metaphysical multiverse galaxy-brain head trip, but deep down — and also right on the surface — it's a bittersweet domestic drama, a marital comedy, a story of immigrant striving and a hurt-filled ballad of mother-daughter love." And it is here where the film's heartbeat lies. I will probably up my rating of it now that I am thinking more about it. I could say that too about TAR.

I just watched the Fablemans and this too is a reasonably layered movie and worthy of the nomination. 5 down 5 to go.

 

RE: It's a mystery to me how..., posted on March 2, 2023 at 07:55:53
MaxwellP
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Location: New York
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 Maverick barely had a script. On another note, I think last year was a somewhat remarkable year for quality movies. I don't remember a year in which I thought highly--or somewhat highly--of so many: All Quiet on the Western Front, The Banshees of Inisherin, Tar, Babylon, Amsterdam, Empire of Light, and possibly others out there I haven't seen. It's encouraging to see.

 

Not, don't care, only seen three..., posted on March 2, 2023 at 23:06:51
musetap
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Location: San Francisco
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  Since: January 28, 2004
 Banshees of Inisherin is better than Tar but not as entertaining as Everything, Everywhere, All at Once .

All three are very good yet not even close to what I consider great though they
had more "draw" to me than the others, which I'm in no hurry to see.

Seemingly at all.

Mostly it's a snore.




"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination"-Michael McClure



 

I've seen 5..., posted on March 3, 2023 at 09:44:18
mkuller
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Posts: 38130
Location: SF Bay Area
Joined: April 22, 2003
 ...Banshees, Triangle, Top Gun, Everything, Elvis and will probably watch Fabelmans this weekend.

Of these, I'd say Elvis was the best but none of them struck me as a Best Picture.

Also saw The Whale - Fraser should get Best Actor.

I'd say it was a poor year for films.

 

I don't know about that..., posted on March 4, 2023 at 06:47:43
MaxwellP
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 My feeling is that it was a better than average year for films. There were plenty of "auteur" films--if that term is even valid any more--Banshees, Tar, Babylon, Amsterdam, Women Talking. All Quiet on the Western Front was very good. And I haven't seen 2 or 3 on the award list. Filmwise 2022 was quite satisfying.

 

Like this: Crap, Poor, Fair, Tolerable, Good, Better, Best. (nt), posted on March 4, 2023 at 13:38:50
reelsmith.
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 ;-)

Dean.


reelsmith's axiom: Its going to be used equipment when I sell it, so it may as well be used equipment when I buy it.


 

I have only seen 6, posted on March 5, 2023 at 10:11:20
Mike B.
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  Since: September 1, 1999
 Let me give a quick take on each.
Elvis. Butler did a good job portraying Elvis. I enjoyed the film. A good effort but not Oscar quality IMO.
Top Gun. Excellent sequel. Good summer popcorn action film. I especially liked the sensitivity of how they handled including Kilmer.
Banshees... The story is weak. Acting was very good
Everything..... I guess I enjoyed it. I kept wondering who thinks up such a convoluted tale? It felt amateurish at times.
Tar. Good film. Worthy of Oscar consideration. Blanchett was excellent.
All Quiet.... Another Oscar worthy candidate. A gritty look at war. Good acting and very realistic locations.



 

Perfect!!!!... N/T, posted on March 7, 2023 at 18:17:52
musetap
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Contributor
  Since: January 28, 2004
 ,
"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination"-Michael McClure



 

RE: How are you ranking the Academy Award Nominated films, posted on March 11, 2023 at 12:49:46
Billy Wonka
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Contributor
  Since: October 15, 2013
 1. Three Thousand Years of Longing
2. Tar
3. The Fabelmans
4. Amsterdam
5. Elvis
6. Top Gun

Hmm, I would only dredge up six, er, four.

 

Seen them all - final rankings, posted on March 12, 2023 at 05:54:30
RGA
Reviewer

Posts: 15177
Location: Hong Kong
Joined: August 8, 2001
 My annual Academy Awards Rankings (out of five):
10) Women Talking **
9) Triangle of Sadness **
8) Top Gun: Maverick ***
7) Avatar: The Way of Water ***
6) Elvis ***
5) The Banshees of Inisherin ***
4) The Fabelmans ***
3) Tár ***1/2
2) All Quiet on the Western Front ***1/2
1) Everything Everywhere All at Once ***1/2

I enjoyed the Avatar film far more than the original. Elvis was style over substance but had enough style and a decent pace.

I am okay with ***1/2 star films being nominated. Not a big standout to me.

 

Everything Everywhere..., posted on March 12, 2023 at 06:11:47
MaxwellP
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Location: New York
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 I attempted to watch that a couple of days ago and gave up after 45 minutes. Any words of encouragement?

 

Everything Everywhere..., posted on March 12, 2023 at 10:12:46
mkuller
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Posts: 38130
Location: SF Bay Area
Joined: April 22, 2003
 ...we couldn't remember much about it after seeing it when it first came to streaming.

So we watched it again last night.

We couldn't get through it after about an hour and a half, which I suspect is what happened the first time.

We realized we didn't really care about what happened to any of the characters. This is what passes for a Best Picture today?

We also watched The Fablemans this week. Interesting but very lightweight.

 

Hollywood is moribund and out of ideas iMHO, posted on March 12, 2023 at 12:41:34
Jay Buridan
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Posts: 11521
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 Not even worth an hour of my time. I prefer watching Laurel and Hardy...

"Horse sense is the thing a horse has which keeps it from betting on people. "
― W.C. Fields

 

Top Gun..., posted on March 12, 2023 at 14:23:55
MaxwellP
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Posts: 1633
Location: New York
Joined: September 19, 2007
 Doesn't belong in the running either.

 

RE: Everything Everywhere..., posted on March 12, 2023 at 15:33:03
RGA
Reviewer

Posts: 15177
Location: Hong Kong
Joined: August 8, 2001
 I suppose it depends which movie you're watching in Everything Everywhere All at Once -

From a review: Science Fiction is usually a gloss over a commentary of our time. Star Trek always did it (when it did it well).

"When Evelyn reveals she always wants to be with Joy, no matter where they are, it is the start of a healing process for both characters from the pain inflicted previously. That is key to overcoming both of their traumas and breaking the generational cycle that causes a rift between parents and their children. At the heart of the film is the message that family matters, so long as one is willing to listen and approach things with an open heart. Besides dealing with family trauma like Encanto, the film explores how a person can be caught between so many expectations, perceptions, and the constant barrage of things in life that require so much of one's attention."

 

Thanks..., posted on March 12, 2023 at 15:52:28
MaxwellP
Audiophile

Posts: 1633
Location: New York
Joined: September 19, 2007
 If I get back to it, I'll will keep your comments in mind.

 

RE: Thanks..., posted on March 12, 2023 at 21:04:47
RGA
Reviewer

Posts: 15177
Location: Hong Kong
Joined: August 8, 2001
 With some of these Sci-Fi films - I try to ignore the spectacle (multi-verse) and try to figure out what the hell the heart of the movie is about.

In the film, it is revealed that Evelyn is living the most mundane version of herself - all the things she could be she is not. The grandfather would not understand that his grandaughter is gay. The mother (Evelyn) is caught in the old traditions and trying to accept her daughter.

To me, this is the heart of the film. Personally, I think they could have made a better film without all the Multi-Verse stuff but then perhaps it would have then just been a human drama that no one would go and see.

There are other themes in there - what's the point of it all kind of stuff that others may appreciate - and that's why I would choose it as the best of this lot. It had some ambition - it tried to do something and appeal on a few levels.

All Quiet was a good war picture but doesn't really have much of narrative and is mostly a series of horrors.

Tar is a commentary I suppose on power corrupting - and a lesson on not stepping on people to get to the top as you may need them on the way down.

Personally, I liked The Batman and The Menu more than any of these nominated movies.

 

RE: Hollywood is moribund and out of ideas iMHO, posted on March 13, 2023 at 14:54:25
pbarach
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Posts: 3478
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 ..and according to this New Yorker article, part of the reason is the influence of Robert McKee, author of "Story" and purveyor of screenwriting seminars passing his formula on to authors:

 

Swing and a miss, posted on March 13, 2023 at 14:56:11
pbarach
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Location: Ohio
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 "Causeway" is on Apple TV+ and probably hasn't been seen by many people, but it's one of the best movies of the year and should have been nominated for more than Bryan Tyree Henry for Supporting Actor (and he should have won).

 

RE: Seen them all - final rankings, posted on March 14, 2023 at 18:34:53
RGA
Reviewer

Posts: 15177
Location: Hong Kong
Joined: August 8, 2001
 With the Academy - Directors choose Director, actors choose actors - but everyone votes for picture.

For best picture, all the members in all branches list up to five films in preferential order.

So it is theoretically possible that no one chose EEAAO but it got enough "points" for second and third place to be the winner.

It was somewhat of a tossup for me with All Quiet... but I knocked it down for editing and lack of scope/originality. War is hell. Got it. It's well done. EEAAO was and is probably the only film on this list tha I would ever want to watch again (and that's iffy).

It just wasn't a strong year.

Personally, I would have chosen "The Batman" over any of these. Indeed, "The Menu" and even the silly comedy/horror M3GAN (released in 2023 though) over this lot. M3GAN was a hoot. The Terminator meets Chucky

 

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