Oscar night has snuck up on me this year. I've seen all of the best picture nominees but have simply been too busy, or too lazy, to actually write down my thoughts. As always, I'm hoping to spark some conversation or debate. There have been a number of very good movies, but just like last year, no single movie blew me away. I did enjoy movies throughout the year, without the customary lag during the winter and summer months. I have noted that movies seem to be longer then usual this year, with many run times well over two hours. It's a trend I'm not a fan off as longer films can become indulgent and boring. Some of the movies I enjoyed this year, that didn't get any love from the Academy, included: Logan Lucky, Baby Driver, Wonder Woman, Tragedy Girls, Only The Brave, Jumanji among others. Some more "out there" and harder to recommend films I enjoyed, or at least found interesting, included: Hostiles, The Disaster Artist, Wind River, Split and Mother.
As always I'll review the best picture nominees from best to worst- IN MY OPINION.
1) PHANTOM THREAD: I suspect I may be alone in my admiration of this movie, above all others this year. I am typically drawn to movies that are driven by great acting, far more so then by those driven by plot, character, action, suspense, humor, etc. That being said, Daniel Day-Lewis may arguably be the single best currently working male actor. Let's hope his claim to now be retired turns out not to be true, although I fear it is. Direction and writing are probably the next most important element to a great movie. Paul Thomas Anderson wrote AND directed Boogie Nights, Magnolia and There Will Be Blood. Need I say more?!?! Daniel Day-Lewis plays the dressmakers to the stars in 1950's London. He lives and works out of a house, which is run like a military barrack. He has a rigid militant manner to his life and to his work. Life is on his terms and he no tolerance to be pushed out of his comfort zone personally or professionally. The only people who seem to have a permanent place in his life and in his heart, are his equally cold sister, Cyril (Oscar nominated Lesley Manville), and the memory of his beloved mother. The inspiration for his dress designs seem to come from the women he currently loves, although he eventually discards them unceremoniously. The movie begins with a chance encounter, and eventual love affair, with Alma (Vicky Krieps), a simple but strong and beautiful waitress. While acting as his muse and lover she throws his orderly way of life in to chaos. In time, as their love grows, each figures out what the other wants and needs. They become interdependent and bring out the best in each other, even if unconventionally. Does she become the third woman with a permanent place in his life? Does he dump her? Will his art suffer? The acting, direction, writing, cinematography, and the music all weave together seamlessly in to a beautiful crafted work of art.
2) THE SHAPE OF WATER: Another interesting movie by director Guillermo del Toro who also brought us the stunning Pan's Labyrinth. This somewhat darker twist on "Beauty and the Beast" takes place in the 1960's, set mostly in a secret, underground, government, research facility. Elisa (Oscar nominated Sally Hawkins), the beauty, is a sweet and charming, deaf custodian, with a heart of gold. She encounters the beast, a scaly, water bound, "monster" imprisoned at the facility. She finds herself drawn to him and endeavors to save him. Naturally, in time her affection is reciprocated and romance blossoms. A number of expertly portrayed secondary supporting characters bring life to this film. Octavia Spencer plays her colleague and ally while Michael Shannon plays the antagonist determined to "break" the beast. There is a great deal of humor, tenderness, beauty and intrigue interwoven in this unconventional love story. The movie is beautifully shot, well scored, and tremendously well acted. Del Toro has a way of filming that is dance-like. The choreography and motion of the scenes flows so beautifully, almost whimsically. The film genuinely captures the time period and cleverly sets the mood visually. I did take issue with a bathroom scene that while beautiful was just too far fetched to believe and was inconsistent with the prior "realism". I also didn't love the ending. It felt rushed, awkward, and unsatisfying. As my brother likes to say "it didn't stick the landing". I'm not sure it deserved all the nominations it received, but it is an excellent movie worth seeing.
3) DARKEST HOUR: Now this is a movie almost solely driven by a single acting performance. Gary Oldman portrays Winston Churchill in this historical biopic. I know makeup, prosthetics, and special effects have come a long way, but I was still blown away by how they were able to physically transform Oldman in to Churchill. However, flushing out the complexities of the character is a testament to Oldman's superior acting skills. I was instantly hooked and convinced I was watching Churchill. His interactions with the King were particularly riveting. As a fan of history, particularly the history of World War II, I greatly enjoyed learning how Churchill rose to power and how he struggled making the weighty decisions he faced. Annihilation and/or annexation seemed likely. Should he fight to the end and risk more innocent lives, or should he try to negotiate with Hitler? His action, or lack of action, would determine the fate of Britain. Like all of the historically set films on the list this year, this film truly captures the essence of the time period in which the events take place. I don't even really care that much how historically accurate the film was. I was completely swept up in the journey and enjoyed the ride.
4) LADY BIRD: A beautifully written and acted coming of age comedy. I have been critical of several movies Greta Gerwig acted in. However, she did a spectacular job writing the screenplay and directing this film. The gifted Saoirse Ronan, who burst on the scene in Brooklyn, plays a Catholic high school senior, who like most teenagers, struggles with her identity. She is looking to discover what her mother calls "the best version of yourself". In an effort to define herself and have some control she insists on being called Lady Bird instead of Christine, her given name. Like most teens, she's often charming, lovable, witty, clever and kind. However, she can also be selfish, petty, and even mean spirited, making her feel very "real". She has complicated interactions and feelings about her sexuality, parents, siblings, friends, teachers, and religion. There is a natural and inherent selfishness to youth, thinking we are the center of the universe, but why doesn't everyone else recognize it?!? Teens don't necessarily see that others have equally complex and difficult lives. What makes this movie even more entertaining are all the rich secondary characters. An interesting movie could easily be made out of most of the supporting cast. I'd have liked to learn more about each of her parents, her brother and his girlfriend, her boyfriend/s, teachers etc. I admit that I tend to enjoy coming of age movies and this one did not disappoint (and it wasn't two hours long).
5) THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI: What makes this dramatic dark comedy rank so high is that is was simply entertaining. I never checked my watch and time flew by; a primary criteria by which I evaluate movies. I suspect this film will be a fan favorite, appealing to a wider audience. It's a fictional story about a grieving mother who takes out three billboards to motivate the police department. She accuses the chief of police of ineptitude or laziness. Her daughter has been brutally murdered months ago, and she perceives a lack of action and investigation, and she blames the chief. Much of what makes this movie so entertaining, aside from the script, are the poignant performances by the leads as well as by the secondary characters. Frances McDormand as the mother, Woody Harelson as the Chief, and Sam Rockwell as the racist/violent Deputy are the heartbeat of this film. But Woody's wife, Sam's mother, and McDormand's ex husband, along with a slew of other interesting characters contribute greatly to this film. Both Woody and Sam are consistently excellent and yet seem under-rated. My primary issue with this film are the number of unrealistic scenes which I found distracting. I don't mind suspending disbelief and absolutely don't require realism, but I do like some consistency. I was particularly distracted by Sam Rockwell's character. While expertly played, I found it impossible to believe that a small town, in the deep south, would not only employ but retain a police deputy with his degree of overt racism, ineptitude, immaturity and complete disregard for the rule of law. By rights he belonged in prison. There were other inconsistencies and unbelievable moments which lowered this movie's rank. It also didn't quite "stick the landing", leaving me a bit unfulfilled. That being said, it's a fun ride and worth seeing.
6) CALL ME BY YOUR NAME: Another coming of age movie. I found it fascinating how this movie seemed to be the opposite of Lady Bird. Both movies are about teens struggling with finding their own inner identity and their place in the world. However, they do so in equally interesting but wildly different ways. This is very much an "indie" type movie while Lady Bird is more mainstream. It might make an interesting project for a film student to compare and contrast. Elio, played by Timothee Chalamet, who incidentally also had a part in Lady Bird, does an impressive job conveying his search for identity. The movie is set in Italy and feels like a meandering stroll through the countryside. It's beautifully filmed but in no hurry at 132 minutes. Elio is a gifted musician, highly intelligent, well read and well liked, with understanding and supportive parents. Mostly he seems to struggle with his sexual identity, even his sexual preference. Armie Hammer's character Oliver, comes to live at the summer home in Italy, serving as the teaching assistant to Elio's father (Michael Stuhlbarg). The two eventually become friends and slowly a reluctant, tender and passionate love affair develops. Additionally both have sexually satisfying relationships with women. It's a wonderful movie but I simply had a hard time relating to the characters. Being able to relate to, understand, identify or empathize with a character is critical to becoming invested in the action and outcome. This is the second year in a row that I struggled to identify with a gay themed movie. I just didn't connect. I think I'd have had an easier time relating to Elio were he simply gay, rather then bi. Moonlight, last year's best picture winner, was my least favorite of the nominated films. I am not at all homophobic and have loved many movies which had homosexuality was at their heart. Films like Milk, Dallas Buyers Club, A Single Man, and even Philadelphia are just a few such films that come quickly to mind. There is a lot to love about this film but for me it was too long, a little self indulgent and hard to relate to.
7) THE POST: Meryl Streep is probably my favorite actor of all time, Tom Hanks is no slouch, and Steven Spielberg is obviously in rarefied air as a director. With those ingredients you'd think this movie would be slam dunk amazing. The Post explores the US government's deception of the American public about the Vietnam War, and the cover-up that followed. Secret government documents exposing wrong-doing are covertly leaked to the Washington Post. These documents become known as the Pentagon Papers. On the grounds of protecting national security Nixon endeavors to legally bar the Washington Post, owned by Kay Graham (Streep) and edited by Ben Bradlee (Hanks) from publishing these damning documents. Should she risk her freedom and the future of the paper, violate the law and publish, or let an important story about corruption and deception go untold? Intrigue, suspense, and dramatic tension should have been at the heart of this movie and yet it was slow and a little boring. Graham who eventually does the right thing, doesn't come across as the strong willed titan she was. She comes across as a timid, confused and a reluctant participant, lost in her late husband's shadow. Additionally many of the scenes felt contrived, unnatural and staged. Shots to make sure every character was in frame, nobody obscuring anyone else. Characters standing by unnaturally, waiting for a cue, eager to give their own lines. It felt a bit like a stage play rather then a big screen movie. In 2015 Spielberg collaborated with Hanks in Bridge of Spies and I had similar directorial issues with that film. I did enjoy the movie overall, but compared to Spotlight, another movie about journalism and uncovering deception, it simply didn't measure up.
8) DUNKIRK: I had such high hopes for this movie. Director Christopher Nolan brought us amazing movies such as Memento, Insomnia, The Prestige, Inception, The Dark Knight Rises and Interstellar. However, Dunkirk was somewhat disappointing. In 1940 Allied soldiers were isolated and surrounded on the beaches of Dunkirk, France. The German army had them pinned down and trapped, with a real opportunity to end and win World War II. The story is told from three different perspectives. There is the military drama on the beaches, a view from a fighter pilot's cockpit (Tom Hardy), and there are civilian boats rushing to Dunkirk in hopes of evacuating stranded soldiers. Technically this movie was amazing. Many of the images and several of the scenes were visually stunning; beautifully filmed and acted. The opening few minutes and all scenes with Mark Rylance, as a small boat captain, were particularly effective. My daughter loved every scene with boy-band heartthrob Harry Styles, of One Direction fame. However, I'm not sure this alone qualifies for a higher ranking.... Sorry Lauren. On the other hand, Kenneth Branagh's superior talents were absolutely wasted and his scenes went nowhere. There was minimal character development with very little meaningful dialogue, making it difficult to connect with any character or the action. Overall I found the story confusing without a smooth arc to the narrative. Much of the action seemed contrived, disjointed and unrealistic. With no ship in sight why were rows of soldiers lined up on the beach, virtual sitting ducks? It wasn't clearly explained how Dunkirk came to be, what the issues were, and what made it so important. The action at sea and in the air were far more entertaining and coherent then what transpired on the beaches. For example, a minor sub-plot story develops when a group of soldiers seek refuge on an small grounded ship. The entire sequence felt alternately pointless, confusing, manipulative, and in the end cliche. The technical merit of this film can not be denied, and it is worth seeing, but I just don't think this movie deserved to be on the best picture list.
9) GET OUT: At the risk of being inconsistent, or a movie snob, I'll say this movie was more entertaining, interesting, and "fun" then Dunkirk, yet I rank it last among the best picture nominees. If I had to re-watch any of the movies on the list, I'd easily watch Get Out before I'd watch 6, 7, or 8 again. I should say that horror is by far my least favorite genre of movies and straight comedy may be next. Jordan Peele, of the hilarious Key And Peele fame, writes and directs his first movie. I can't wait to see the next film he directs. Get Out is the tale of an interracial couple, portrayed beautifully by Daniel Kaluuya and the gorgeous Allison Williams. Their relationship has reached the point where she wants to take him to meet her parents. They travel deep in to the woods, to her parent's isolated home. At first everything is harmonious and he's accepted with open arms. Eventually he begins to notice odd happenings but writes them off to his imagination. When her mother, a psychiatrist (too rarely seen Catherine Keener), hypnotizes him things take a dramatically darker turn. It's a unique, fun, poignant and interesting tale well told. So, I guess it depends on what you think "best" means when raking a movie. I think Get Out just lacked some of the gravitas or weight of a great Oscar caliber film. It's a fun movie for sure but it lacks the elements that make a movie important or "best" to me. It's why so few comedies, comic book movies, animated or horror movies even get nominated. By all means see this movie and feel free to tell me I'm wrong for not listing it higher. You may be right.
