What a year it’s been: thoughts on (most of the) Best Picture Nominees of 2022
Rarely do the Academy Awards hold my interest in the best of years, but 2021 was one of those and I have to admit that as jaded as I am, I was tickled by the nominees this year. “CODA” won Best Picture, and I am not going to argue, though I would have gone with “The Power of the Dog.”
I don’t quite get “King Richard”’s nomination and I really don’t see Will Smith earning the statue for this performance. EDIT: well, well, well. Look who’s wrong…obviously, this was written prior to the Academy Awards ceremony. But I’m leaving it as is for posterity.
“Drive My Car” (thankfully) won Best International Film, and for that I can be grateful because that was my other personal nomination for Best Pic.
“Dune”, “Nightmare Alley”, and “Don’t Look Up”? Fine films, but “The Best”? I suppose of the three, I get it; but as much as I liked both “Nightmare Alley” and “Don’t Look Up”, even I have to wonder about their inclusion.
“West Side Story” I was completely behind. I couldn’t see it winning, but I couldn’t see it not, either.
“Belfast” and “Licorice Pizza” were both viable alternatives for me, as well, even if I found Branagh’s picture a little off in terms of execution (though the script was strong and his Oscar for Best Original Screenplay is well-deserved). Paul Thomas Anderson has done just fine over his career, so it’s fine that he misses on this one.
“Don’t Look Up” was an unexpected ringer. Adam McKay’s satire deserves more than I’m giving it here (since I haven’t reviewed it). Much more, in fact. I think it’s the shrewdest satire since Barry Levinson’s “Wag the Dog” and more biting than most of what passes for acerbic these days. It’s not just about climate change; it’s very much hitting the nail on the head with a large hammer of why we don’t/can’t pay attention to what matters, existential threats, the political climate of the U.S., but not necessarily excluding the rest of the world. I should also mention that it is funny. It’s not wall to wall, laugh at loud; there is a lot of stuff that doesn’t quite land. Best Picture? No, but I’ll take it.
Taken altogether, this was a satisfying season and if there were snubs, I’ve been around long enough to just be happy if the AMPAS get it half right.
Interested in what I thought of each of the nominees in detail? Here you go:
The Power of “The Power of the Dog”
Vanya in Hiroshima: “Drive My Car”
Autumn Blockbusters: “Dune” and “no Time to Die”
Pressed for Time: “CODA”, “Belfast”, and “King Richard”
Really fresh ingredients: “Licorice Pizza”
West Side Story: a Review and a Problem
“Don’t Look Up” GOTCHA! Didn’t review it! Well, kind of did, above.
AFTERWORD
Nope, not discussing the Slappening. I have thoughts about it but nothing that really needs to be shared and nothing of any great ruminative value. I try to keep Reaction Shots focus on the work, not the biographies of the people who make the films. Unless biographical information is so germane to the discussion, it is unlikely that I am going to go into much detail about the minutiae of anyone’s life.
Rather, my feeling is simple: go see the film!
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