I started this semi-annual post to acknowledge that I’m not always interested in the movies that get nominated or win Oscars. This year is definitely no exception in that there were very few nominated films that I had already watched prior to the nominations (and in fact, relatively few movies have caught my eye over the past year — and even fewer have gotten my dollars at the box office). Nevertheless, the Oscars motivate me to watch a few movies that I might otherwise not have watched, and this year I found a couple of pleasant surprises — though probably not the ones you think.

Oppenheimer

Nominations: Best picture, director, actor, supporting actor, supporting actress, adapted screenplay, production design, costume design, cinematography, editing, makeup and hairstyling, sound, original score

So let’s start with the leading contender, the must-see movie that will probably sweep the awards. I am a big fan of Christopher Nolan, but mostly for his mind-bending science fiction and less for his historical dramas (I still have only watched half of Dunkirk). This story of physicist Robert Oppenheimer and his work on the atomic bomb that would end World War 2, was not inherently one that I was keen to watch. While I can admire the acting performances of Cillian Murphy as Oppenheimer, and Robert Downey Jr. as Strauss (plus, I love Emily Blunt in anything), I am admittedly quite ignorant of what makes a good acting performance. Also three acting nominations for a single movie still did not prevent me from being confused throughout ¾ of the movie and also a little bored for ½ of it. The direction of Christopher Nolan, not to mention the screenplay that he wrote for the movie, definitely earns high marks for difficulty since the film jumps around so many time periods it made my head spin. It was also nearly impossible to keep track of all the different scientists, military personnel, and Communist party dames who came in and out of the story that the fact that I managed to glean meaning and enjoyment from the film is big kudos to Nolan’s craft. Overall, I was impressed with this movie; I learned a little history, and got a little more scared of humanity’s propensity for self-destruction. I don’t know if more is required for a movie to win Best Picture, but it probably has whatever that is too.

Barbie

Nominations: Best picture, supporting actor, supporting actress, adapted screenplay, production design, costume design, original song

Now onto Oppenheimer‘s evil twin: Barbie. I have no idea why this movie is getting so many kudos, and I cannot understand why someone would vote for this as the Best Picture OF THE YEAR. It looks pretty good, so I could give it the production design award. The plot of this movie, about a Barbie doll — I guess she’s like the Platonic ideal of a Barbie doll? — who becomes self-aware and decides to come to the real world, is not subversive or even very imaginative. The whole movie gave me so many Free Guy vibes (remember that Ryan Reynolds movie where a video game character became self aware?) or even The Truman Show (remember that Jim Carrey movie where a guy born and bred to live in an artificial world created for TV became self-aware?). The proto-feminist message was so heavy-handed that it is insane that this movie is nominated for a screenplay award. The movie doesn’t even maintain its own internal logic. Frankly, I have no clue. I must be missing how clever and creative this movie really is, because all I see is a relatively simple-minded, slightly-satirical, relatively-superficial, preachy fable that wants everyone to think it’s just fun and light-hearted (which it is, kind of), but it’s not “Best picture” fun. I like Ryan Gosling, generally, but I don’t feel like Ken was his best performance. And America Ferrera’s part in the movie was so banal, except that she had that big speech (which was not really one that I would consider an Oscar-winning speech). I really can’t see this movie taking awards away from any of its category also-rans. Barbie, let’s simply say it was an honour just being nominated.

Past Lives

Nominations: Best picture, original screenplay

One of my pleasant surprises is how much I enjoyed this film. It’s my favourite of the Best Picture nominees. Keep in mind, I’ve only watched three of them (but I have a feeling I’d still pick this one even if I’d watched them all). This story of a woman who, played well by Greta Lee (who I have liked both in Russian Doll and What We Do in the Shadows), reunites with her childhood sweetheart and reflects on the choices made and paths taken in her life. I thought both leads (the other being South Korean actor Teo Yoo) were immensely charming and wonderful. The film was subtle and reflective without being brooding and melancholic. I don’t have a lot more to say about it, because this film is relatively simple, but that’s also what’s so great about it. I am pretty sure that there is no chance that this will topple Oppenheimer for best picture, wouldn’t it be great if it could win Best Original Screenplay!

Now let’s pop quickly through the animated features. Usually even if I can’t watch all the Best Picture nominees, I can usually make it to all the animated features. Unfortunately I didn’t get to see Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron, which I probably would have chosen for animated feature winner given how awesome Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli have always been. I did see Spider-man: Across the Spider-verse and loved it. I would pump my fist and sling webs if that movie won (check my review here for why). Though I also failed to watch Robot Dreams, I managed a couple of the other nominees that I’ll discuss here:

Elemental

Nominations: Best animated feature

Pixar had been an auto-watch studio for me in the past. I adored everything that they produced, but for the last while, they have not been creating at the same caliber, so when I heard middling review of this movie where a boy made of water and a girl made of fire fall in love in a city where all the elements live together in urban disharmony, I feared for some heavy-handed socio-cultural allegory and a weak overall product. After watching the movie on Disney+, I still think it’s relatively middling, but it’s not nearly as bad as I expected. First, Pixar’s animation continues to be top notch. The fact that they could make humanoid characters out of realistic looking fire and water is very impressive, not to mention all the environments and animated sets look simply amazing. The character designs fit that Pixar trademark of adorable and imaginative. The story/script and performances were both serviceable without being too pat or preachy, and I was not super annoyed by any of the characters (except the Flood family of water beings cry so much that it can work my nerve a bit). I don’t think Elemental should take home the trophy (though it’d be nice to see another Oscars segment animated by Pixar), I was glad that I gave this movie a shot because of its nomination.

Nimona

Nominations: Best animated feature

That last sentiment about Pixar’s Elemental is ten times as true for this movie. Even though I had it available as part of my Netflix subscription for a while, I had not intended to watch Nimona at all prior to the nomination. I had seen images of the rambunctious title character (I’m not generally a fan of trouble-makers) and heard that there was a lot of queer characterization (which I naively feared would be bundled with a preachy and heavy-handed script) but once I watched the first 15 minutes, I thought that the film was so fresh, and a lot of fun, and exactly the kind of movie that the creatively crumbling Disney Studios should be putting out nowadays. There was a decidedly Disney feel to the animation, but the story was more contemporary and well-told. The movie follows a knight (the kind who train to kill monsters) in a futuristic setting that has Star Wars-level technology (no, the knights are not jedis). When said knight, named Ballister Boldheart (voiced by the awesome Riz Ahmed), is framed for a crime, he goes on the run and stumbles upon a shapeshifting imp/girl named Nimona who wants to help him prove his innocence and find out who set him up. This action-packed movie is so much fun and funny, with a thrillingly surprising and twist-filled plot. What more could you want from your Medieval science fiction? Animation? Again, the animation is definitely Disney-level, so it is up to par. If this had been a Disney film, it might even be a serious contender for the Oscar. However, I don’t see really see that it’s in contention now. In any case, I hope that people will give Nimona a try. It’s a great little sleeper hit.

The Creator

Nominations: Best sound, visual effects

This movie is only nominated in the sound category, as many blockbuster action movies can be. This category usually ends up with nominees that don’t really show up in any of the other categories (though there are a number of prestige nominees in the Sound category as well this year). For me, The Creator was going to be a big hit of a sci-fi movie that was going to redeem the awful trend of derivative blockbusters from the likes of Marvel and Star Wars. I was hoping that this film about a US marine hunting for and then protecting a very special robot child was going to be super fresh, innovative, and touching (like good sci-fi can be). Unfortunately, it ended up being pretty trite and mostly just ridiculous action, as military forces closed in on Joshua (our protagonist, played by John David Washington) and the robot child in his care. While all the focus on artificial intelligence in the world today might have provided a great opportunity for this film to feel super-relevant, alas it is really only a paper-thinly-veiled allegory for the Vietnam War. It is not fresh, clever, mind-bending sci-fi. It’s just another cheap action flick with some robot dressing. I don’t think it’s worth the watch. Does it have the best sound? Who knows? It might (especially since the scene of the explosion of the Trinity atomic bomb test in Oppenheimer was silent).

Well, that’s my commentary on the Oscar nominees this year. I don’t really care who wins (as long as it’s not Barbie) and I don’t really have many predictions except that Oppenheimer will win Best Picture. I am on board for that outcome except that I am afraid it might lead Christopher Nolan to switch entirely to historical biopics when what I really want is another Interstellar.