The 2021 Oscars took place this last weekend. Now that the awards have already been handed out, allow me to cover all eight Best Picture nominees with my own rankings. I await my invitation to join Academy.
8. “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
I do not hate this movie. I just find it by far the least interesting nominee both in terms of technical merit and story substance. Aaron Sorkin is a master at crafting snappy dialogue that pushes the story forward, but he is merely mediocre when it comes to directing. It would be unfair to say “The Trial of the Chicago 7” feels distant and in the past. There was obviously an attempt to compare police violence toward peaceful protest and the corrupt justice system of 50 years ago to similar events and institutions of today. However, especially when compared to the other nominee featuring Fred Hampton, “Trial” feels more like an expertly crafted history lesson as opposed to a political statement pulsating with immediacy.
7. “Nomadland”
Yes, the actual Best Picture winner is not even in my top five, although I understand why “Nomadland” resonates with so many people. It maintains an incredibly naturalistic tone throughout, making everything feel genuine. Frances McDormand is also excellent, of course, though I am not quite sure if she was better than some of the other performances nominated for Best Actress. I did enjoy the immersive slice-of-life nature of the plot, but I was left wanting more.
6. “Promising Young Woman”
I have very conflicting feelings about this movie. On one hand, I was incredibly impressed with how the story progressed toward satisfying payoffs. On the other hand, I thought the dialogue rarely ventured away from the nose and displayed a simultaneous lack of trust in the audience’s intelligence and what I have to call laziness. There is a chunk around the midpoint where I found the dialogue more subtle and intelligently written, but it only lasts about 15 minutes. Despite my issues with it, “Promising Young Woman” fascinates me. Though it did win best original screenplay, I really feel like another draft could have ironed out some of my problems.
5. “Mank”
David Fincher is one of my favorite directors, but I was a little disappointed with his latest film, Mank.” From a technical perspective, I love it. The sumptuous black and white cinematography and old-fashioned method of sound recording succeed at making “Mank” feel like a relic from the Golden Age of Hollywood. This is not to mention the excellent production design and costuming. I appreciate all of these technical aspects; however, I was not invested in the story or characters. From what I have read, there are fascinating readings to be drawn from “Mank,” but I was too bored and uninvested to take a deeper look.
4. “The Sound of Metal”
Now we are getting into the movies I legitimately love. “The Sound of Metal” follows a punk drummer as his hearing rapidly deteriorates and he is forced to navigate a silent world. The sound design here plays a pivotal role in putting us in the subjective experience of main character Ruben. The fuzzy, echoey audial void simulates deafness and places the audience directly inside Ruben’s mind. There are fantastic performances from the whole cast, particularly Riz Ahmed and Paul Raci. Raci and Ahmed do not necessarily have the big “I’m acting” moments that Boseman and Hopkins have, but their dedication to the performances and the subtle emotions present in facial expressions are no less worthy of praise. Another thing I enjoyed about “Sound” was its relatable themes. On the surface, the movie is about Ruben’s struggle to deal with his loss of hearing; however, it can also be read as a representation of the difficulties people have in adapting to major life changes and growing to be content nevertheless. Based on the times we are living in, some reviewers have even equated Ruben’s experience to our era of pandemic living. “The Sound of Metal” is available with a subscription to Amazon Prime.
3. “Judas and the Black Messiah”
Obviously, this is the film I was referring to in my critique of “Trial of the Chicago 7.” What does it mean when I say “Judas and the Black Messiah” is pulsating with immediacy? The issues being addressed—police brutality and a racist, corrupt justice system—feel just as important and relevant now as they did at the time in which the film is set. However, this is not simply a political statement: it is a deeply human story. Not only that, but “Judas” is expertly directed by Shaka King and brilliantly performed by a stacked cast led by LaKeith Stanfield and Daniel Kaluuya.
2. “The Father”
I reviewed this movie last week, so I will try to keep this brief. “The Father” was responsible for the biggest upset of Oscars night. In an unprecedented change in line-up, the Best Picture Oscar was not presented last, but third to last. Best Actress and Actor, in that order, were oddly given out last. I thought they changed this up to end things on a powerful moment of the late Chadwick Boseman winning his Oscar. Shockingly, however, Boseman lost the award to Anthony Hopkins for his performance in “The Father.” Hopkins was outstanding and I am not necessarily angry that he pulled off this upset, but odds heavily favored Boseman as the winner and this was the only real shocker of the night.
1. “Minari”
Honestly, I think “Judas and the Black Messiah” and “The Father” are technically slightly better movies, but I found “Minari” so charming and refreshing that I could not resist putting it on top. The calming score, the universally recognizable family relationship, the outstanding screenplay with equally outstanding dialogue (yes, that is directed at you, Best Original Screenplay winner “Promising Young Woman”), the unique take on the American Dream, the great performances across the board—even from the child actors—and the interesting examination of faith all drew me in and invested me totally in the movie’s world.
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