This year’s Oscar nominations list is chock-full of amazing names. The Best Picture nominations are no different, stacked with some of the best films of this year (and some of, debatably, the worst). -- Declan McMahon, 10th Grade
This year’s Oscar nominations list is chock-full of amazing names. The Best Picture nominations are no different, stacked with some of the best films of this year (and some of, debatably, the worst). Here, as always, is OSA Telegraph’s official Best Picture reviews and guesses.
Note: Although diversity is not the most important thing to the following films, it is always good to keep a critical and diverse eye open when watching any awards show. As such, as well as rating and reviewing, I will also be scoring each film on the Cherry Check system developed by Cherry Picks to determine a movie’s gender diversity. This consists of three checks: the Bechdel Test, the ReFrame stamp, and the F-Rating. For a deeper analysis on the Oscars' upcoming diversity changes, check out Ava Rukavinas article here
All Quiet on the Western Front: This is one of the best movies of 2022. Having watched and researched the 1931 version extensively, the 2022 remake is a masterpiece. Although cinematically it may be just slightly over the top, the grand cinematography fits such a war epic. This movie is a story of propaganda, regret, and death, without glorifying war. The raw emotion portrayed by Felix Kammerer (in his screen debut, no less) is admirable and nothing short of beautiful. This film has got some steep competition on this list and it may not win best picture. That said, this movie is a high 9.5 out of 10.
9.5/10
Note: Although diversity is not the most important thing to the following films, it is always good to keep a critical and diverse eye open when watching any awards show. As such, as well as rating and reviewing, I will also be scoring each film on the Cherry Check system developed by Cherry Picks to determine a movie’s gender diversity. This consists of three checks: the Bechdel Test, the ReFrame stamp, and the F-Rating. For a deeper analysis on the Oscars' upcoming diversity changes, check out Ava Rukavinas article here
All Quiet on the Western Front: This is one of the best movies of 2022. Having watched and researched the 1931 version extensively, the 2022 remake is a masterpiece. Although cinematically it may be just slightly over the top, the grand cinematography fits such a war epic. This movie is a story of propaganda, regret, and death, without glorifying war. The raw emotion portrayed by Felix Kammerer (in his screen debut, no less) is admirable and nothing short of beautiful. This film has got some steep competition on this list and it may not win best picture. That said, this movie is a high 9.5 out of 10.
9.5/10
Avatar: The Way of Water: James Cameron is not someone you want directing an Indigenous futurist feature film. The man who cast white actors to play Indigenous-adjacent roles and said he couldn't help but “think that if [the Lakota Sioux] had had a time-window and they could see the future…and they could see their kids committing suicide at the highest suicide rates in the nation [... ]they would have fought a lot harder," is the wrong man for this project.
The original Avatar film broke so many records because of its incredible CGI. Now however, no matter how much a 3 hour film tries to match the records its predecessor broke, the effects are just not as impressive. Pair this with a 45 minute battle scene and white boys with locs and dreads, this movie just ends up disappointing.
4.9/10
The original Avatar film broke so many records because of its incredible CGI. Now however, no matter how much a 3 hour film tries to match the records its predecessor broke, the effects are just not as impressive. Pair this with a 45 minute battle scene and white boys with locs and dreads, this movie just ends up disappointing.
4.9/10
The Banshees of Inisherin: This movie is incredibly sad, and utterly pointless. And it’s really f*cking good. At least, objectively. The screenplay is well written, the setting is beautiful, the camerawork is well-done, and the actors deliver moving performances, even the (surprisingly important) donkey. Wikipedia confusingly defines this movie as a “black tragicomedy,” and the star Colin Farell won a Golden Globe for best actor in a musical or comedy—but The Banshees of Inisherin is not a musical or a comedy. Either some wires got crossed or these reviewers were not watching the same movie: this is a tragedy, pure and simple. Sure, there are some funny parts, but mostly, it’s just incredibly sad.
Another important question this movie asks and does not answer is: does a movie need to have a point? A message? Or even a resolution? This movie centers around the rift in a friendship of two adult men in Inisherin, an island off the coast of Ireland in the 1920’s, and damn is it utterly futile.
7/10 because while objectively good, this was far too sad.
7/10
Another important question this movie asks and does not answer is: does a movie need to have a point? A message? Or even a resolution? This movie centers around the rift in a friendship of two adult men in Inisherin, an island off the coast of Ireland in the 1920’s, and damn is it utterly futile.
7/10 because while objectively good, this was far too sad.
7/10
Elvis: This movie was not as bad as expected – full of bright colors, flashy transitions, 60’s and 70’s decals, ballads, and hip-thrusting. It delivered a poignant story full of high ups and low downs to light up younger audiences and made older audiences feel better about liking such a problematic man.
It was, however, at times uncomfortable and, to some extent, problematic. The movie feels as if the directors tried to push a message of Black empowerment by showing amazing Black performances, portraying Elvis on Beale Street, and the original rock and roll influencing him. They failed. It comes across as what it really is: Elvis stealing music from Black people.
The oedipal touches, no matter how based in reality they may be, felt unnecessary. They were used as an expository tool to show why Elvis was so sad when his “momma, his one sweet girl” died, but they could’ve just left it at the fact that she was his mother.
Putting Tom Hanks in a fatsuit was also unnecessary. For movies featuring morbidly obese actors (see: The Whale), a fatsuit may be the best option. However, for a character with just a bit of a belly and some jowls, an appropriate actor can be hired, or some artistic liberties can be taken to keep the actor their normal size. Although Hanks had an alright performance, this took away from the movie’s legitimacy.
6.4/10
It was, however, at times uncomfortable and, to some extent, problematic. The movie feels as if the directors tried to push a message of Black empowerment by showing amazing Black performances, portraying Elvis on Beale Street, and the original rock and roll influencing him. They failed. It comes across as what it really is: Elvis stealing music from Black people.
The oedipal touches, no matter how based in reality they may be, felt unnecessary. They were used as an expository tool to show why Elvis was so sad when his “momma, his one sweet girl” died, but they could’ve just left it at the fact that she was his mother.
Putting Tom Hanks in a fatsuit was also unnecessary. For movies featuring morbidly obese actors (see: The Whale), a fatsuit may be the best option. However, for a character with just a bit of a belly and some jowls, an appropriate actor can be hired, or some artistic liberties can be taken to keep the actor their normal size. Although Hanks had an alright performance, this took away from the movie’s legitimacy.
6.4/10
Everything Everywhere All at Once: This is far better than any Marvel movie attempt at explaining and exploring the multiverse and the butterfly effect. They combined what Loki did with the spacetime continuum, what Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness did with the multiverse, and made it a thousand times better, with more original, well-timed comedy and touch of relatability for Asian-Americans and queer people. This movie is by far in the top 3 of this list.
This movie is so amazing, centered around heart wrenching performances from Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan. Everything Everywhere All at Once contains multitudes: deep analogies that run throughout the movie, interconnecting symbolism, a beautiful conveyance of its message, knee slapping jokes, and gut wrenching sadness.
Most of all, this movie was good just for being good’s sake.
It wasn’t trying to Oscar-bait with cinematography – hell, it’s mostly shot inside an IRS building – it wasn’t trying to mess with the watchers mind beyond any reasonable point, it wasn’t egregiously long. It was just a good old fashioned good movie.
9.6/10
This movie is so amazing, centered around heart wrenching performances from Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan. Everything Everywhere All at Once contains multitudes: deep analogies that run throughout the movie, interconnecting symbolism, a beautiful conveyance of its message, knee slapping jokes, and gut wrenching sadness.
Most of all, this movie was good just for being good’s sake.
It wasn’t trying to Oscar-bait with cinematography – hell, it’s mostly shot inside an IRS building – it wasn’t trying to mess with the watchers mind beyond any reasonable point, it wasn’t egregiously long. It was just a good old fashioned good movie.
9.6/10
The Fabelmans: This is by far and without a doubt the best movie on this list; the semi-autobiographical flick from Steven Spielberg is some of his best work—of course, he never disappoints—and it cannot be praised enough.
This film’s beautiful story of a Jewish boy growing up in non-Jewish areas of Arizona and California, with a complicated but loving family dynamic simply fails to miss a beat. Every joke hits, every actor’s emotion comes through (even Seth Rogen as Uncle Benny, as The Fabelmans is his first real venture into dramatic acting).
Paul Dano’s performance as Burt Fabelman is almost as moving as Gabriel Labelle’s as his son Sammy. Funny, sad, beautiful, and thrilling, this movie is not one to miss.
Again, this movie is, without a doubt, the best film on this list. It’s also the only 10/10.
10/10
This film’s beautiful story of a Jewish boy growing up in non-Jewish areas of Arizona and California, with a complicated but loving family dynamic simply fails to miss a beat. Every joke hits, every actor’s emotion comes through (even Seth Rogen as Uncle Benny, as The Fabelmans is his first real venture into dramatic acting).
Paul Dano’s performance as Burt Fabelman is almost as moving as Gabriel Labelle’s as his son Sammy. Funny, sad, beautiful, and thrilling, this movie is not one to miss.
Again, this movie is, without a doubt, the best film on this list. It’s also the only 10/10.
10/10
Tár: Tár does a good job at getting across it’s main point: Lydia Tár is a terrible person. Sure, she’s a product of her circumstances, but she's still a liar, groomer, and violent. This movie is too long and quite hard to understand. Perhaps it’s just because the subtleties were too subtle, but this movie was pointless.
Still, this movie is not irredeemable. The art direction was beautiful, and the set design to boot. Wood paneled everything black and gray and brown, concretes and slates that all fit with Lydia’s outfits, as well as the theme of instruments, concert halls, and bleakness that this movie brings.
6.6/10
Still, this movie is not irredeemable. The art direction was beautiful, and the set design to boot. Wood paneled everything black and gray and brown, concretes and slates that all fit with Lydia’s outfits, as well as the theme of instruments, concert halls, and bleakness that this movie brings.
6.6/10
Top Gun: Maverick: This movie is not as bad as initially as expected; it was actually quite good for any big gun and fast plane enthusiast. That said, it had a lot of problems.
Firstly, the movie is simply unbelievable. Obviously there has to be some suspension of disbelief going into most action movies, but this one really stretches the brain. As best stated by Fred Kaplan in a recent Slate.com article, ‘A Quite Serious Military Analysis of Top Gun: Maverick’s Tactics’: “The whole thing is crazy. [...] there are many other ways to deal with the threat.” He describes that the Navy used the outdated F-15s in the film because the in-cockpit stunts in a newer F-35 would require the Navy to reveal its secrets. There are many other ways the same outcome achieved by the pilots in this movie could’ve been achieved without flying a near-impossible mission… but then it wouldn’t be Top Gun, would it?
Secondly, the movie is obviously a military money-grab. That’s not to say it’s not good. It is actually a very enjoyable story about family, grief, military family dynamics, and teamwork-- but it’s also about how cool the Navy is, how fast their planes can fly, and an Armed Forces propaganda film at its core.
It’s still a solid 8/10.
8/10
Firstly, the movie is simply unbelievable. Obviously there has to be some suspension of disbelief going into most action movies, but this one really stretches the brain. As best stated by Fred Kaplan in a recent Slate.com article, ‘A Quite Serious Military Analysis of Top Gun: Maverick’s Tactics’: “The whole thing is crazy. [...] there are many other ways to deal with the threat.” He describes that the Navy used the outdated F-15s in the film because the in-cockpit stunts in a newer F-35 would require the Navy to reveal its secrets. There are many other ways the same outcome achieved by the pilots in this movie could’ve been achieved without flying a near-impossible mission… but then it wouldn’t be Top Gun, would it?
Secondly, the movie is obviously a military money-grab. That’s not to say it’s not good. It is actually a very enjoyable story about family, grief, military family dynamics, and teamwork-- but it’s also about how cool the Navy is, how fast their planes can fly, and an Armed Forces propaganda film at its core.
It’s still a solid 8/10.
8/10
Triangle of Sadness:
(Content Warning: Review and movie NOT recommended for those suffering from emetophobia!)
Have you ever asked yourself what would happen if the 1% and some influencers got on a yacht captained by a Marxist and then got attacked by pirates? Well Triangle of Sadness answers that question--sort of. One of the most complicated movies on this list, it had some of the worst scenes of any film on this list, but then also some of the funniest.
The underlying tones in this movie are not as underlying as they should be. In fact, they’re nearly bare on the surface. Capitalism, anticapitalism, communism, Marxism, class hierarchy, survivalism, and a general “shoe on the other foot” message are blatantly obvious in this incredibly vomit filled dark comedy.
That brings up the worst part of this movie: The egregious vomiting. During a prolonged, 10 minute sequence where the boat is rocked by a storm, so much vomit is released, spraying from various mouths (spraying) that the watcher may feel the need to follow suit. There’s also a toilet filled with poop that explodes and floods the lower deck. Even for those without emetophobia, these moments took away so much from what could’ve been an incredible comedy. But the creators had to be too damn self-indulgent.
6.8/10
(Content Warning: Review and movie NOT recommended for those suffering from emetophobia!)
Have you ever asked yourself what would happen if the 1% and some influencers got on a yacht captained by a Marxist and then got attacked by pirates? Well Triangle of Sadness answers that question--sort of. One of the most complicated movies on this list, it had some of the worst scenes of any film on this list, but then also some of the funniest.
The underlying tones in this movie are not as underlying as they should be. In fact, they’re nearly bare on the surface. Capitalism, anticapitalism, communism, Marxism, class hierarchy, survivalism, and a general “shoe on the other foot” message are blatantly obvious in this incredibly vomit filled dark comedy.
That brings up the worst part of this movie: The egregious vomiting. During a prolonged, 10 minute sequence where the boat is rocked by a storm, so much vomit is released, spraying from various mouths (spraying) that the watcher may feel the need to follow suit. There’s also a toilet filled with poop that explodes and floods the lower deck. Even for those without emetophobia, these moments took away so much from what could’ve been an incredible comedy. But the creators had to be too damn self-indulgent.
6.8/10
Women Talking: Women Talking is a film about women debating on whether to leave their Mennonite colony. It’s the only home they’ve ever known, and yet, with an epidemic of rape spreading through the colony, leaving might be best. Directed by Frances McDormand and produced by Brad Pitt, Women Talking’s art direction is exquisite, it's amazingly written (specifically the dialogue), and it's worth as many watches as you can give.
9.4/10
9.4/10
As for a final prediction, Everything Everywhere All At Once is sure to win Best Picture this year, and deservingly so.
