Academy Awards 2024 – run-down

            Academy Awards are inching closer and it’s your favorite type of post, eh? Welcome to the annual Oscar-nominated movies run-down! I like this formula, it proved itself in Alien and Predator and Star Trek. Put your seatbelt on, Friend. This is the crown jewel in the award season. 

3…2…1… ACTION!

            In this post I will not be describing all of the films, but as usual I will focus on a few (more than a few) movies – Best Picture and the actors’ categories. It’s my favorite way to write about the Academy Awards, even though I would love to write about each movie that was nominated.

But maybe one day I will be able to quit my day-to-day job and watch movies all day, so I can write about them… <3 But until that day comes, a simple run-down has to be enough. And let me tell you – 2023 was a damn fine year for movies, I absolutely loved 99% of them. 

Polish cinemas stepped up and showed the majority of them, which is fantastic – I can even forgive the inexplicable delay. Positives, right? So, grab your popcorn and enjoy! I will link up a full list of nominees down below.

Let’s take a closer look…

• Nyad, dir. Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi – I had fun watching it, really! Maybe because I love seeing people in older age achieve their dreams, despite the “odds” – odds here being people saying you can’t do something just because you are at a certain age. Annette Bening and Jodie Foster were both amazing. Really good watch. 
• Killers of the Flower Moon, dir. Martin Scorsese – now, I love Martin and have a huge respect for most of his films (controversially enough, I do not like Goodfellas), but I am not sure this was his “best”. It was good and Leo was great in his role, but Lily Gladstone deserves all of the fuss and wows. Still, this might be the only threat to my Oppenheimer. 
• Oppenheimer, dir. Christopher Nolan – you know that it is my absolute favorite and so far, it is sweeping all of the awards: cast, director, soundtrack and the movie itself. So, there is a big, big chance that Chris Nolan will finally get his dream award.
• Poor Things – I was initially excited about this film, because it had amazing reviews, but holy fucking shit, what an absolute disgust. I am sure Emma Stone is the sure-win for her role, because putting aside the vulgarity, she played very well. But the film itself? A no from me, dwag.

•  Barbie, dir. Greta Gerwig – honestly? It was quite enjoyable. I am pleasantly surprised, though I am glad I didn’t watch it in the cinema. Entertaining and with a message. Though… Let’s be honest: as important as the message is, the vibration of it was a bit exaggerated. 
• The Holdovers, dir. Alexander Payne – the softest, most heartwarming film nominated for the 2024 Academy Awards. Everything made sense and the subtle complexity was radiating with warmth and love. It won my heart, hands down.
• Maestro, dir. Bradley Cooper – umm, it is a bit hard for me, but… I didn’t like it this much. Watched it with my mum and she liked it, but I caught myself dozing off and yeah, not really stuck in my memory. 
• Anatomy of the Fall, dir. Justine Triet – the only movie I didn’t watch but my parents did, so here is their take: “fantastic study of marriage and relationship between mother and son. A bit too long, 2 hours and 40 minutes made it a drag in some places, but overall – one of the best films we’ve seen.”

• The Color Purple, dir. Blitz Bazawule – a new take on the classic, which I did not enjoy as much – but maybe I was just tired when watching it. But each story in which a woman overcomes hardships and gets to her long-overdue happiness is satisfying. I still prefer the original Spielberg’s version, though. 
• Rustin, dir.  George C. Wolfe – probably one of the toughest films I’ve seen out of all nominated this year, but speaks volumes about changing Civil Rights history and I am so happy to see a movie like this getting a nomination. Now, certainly it won’t win but the nomination itself is a big success. And Chris Rock’s role – so damn good. 
• American Fiction, dir. Cord Jefferson – first of all, I LOVE JEFFREY WRIGHT. I love this guy, so I jumped head-first into seeing this film and I really liked it. Especially so, because it is about a writer, which is always close to my heart. Sadly, this one was not in our cinemas (yet?) but it’s certainly worth watching. 

• The Zone of Interest, dir. Jonathan Glazer – heartbreaking portrait of indifference during one of the darkest periods in our history. It will shake you to the core and leave you thinking about it long after you leave the cinema. I am glad these kinds of movies are getting nominated, because it is so important to remember. 
• Past Lives, dir. Celine Song – ah, I love these slow-paced movies. It was great and the chemistry was evident, I could feel it in the air around me. Somewhat heartbreaking, but life goes on, even if you regret things. I am sure, I will be coming back to it whenever I feel nostalgic. 

Who is going to win?!

            If we would live in a perfect world, my heart would be calm about the results, but we all know the harsh truth about the Oscars. It’s not what it used to be, the world has changed and the awards become more and more political. However, I still have hope.

I will be in the Philippines when they announce the results, so I will celebrate that Oscar for Chris with a pineapple smoothie 😉 Share your types with me in the comments, but be sure to check the full list of nominees here.

With that, I want to tell you all that I am taking a well deserved break from writing so I can fully enjoy my vacation. I will be back rested, maybe with some fresh ideas and then I will share my review of Dune (watched on February 29th, but this post seemed more appropriate), so stay tuned!