2024 Best Picture Nominations

With today being the Oscars, I wanted to share my thoughts and ranking of the 10 Best Picture nominees as well as my predictions of every category. Over the last couple of years, I have tried to watch more of the Oscar prestige-type films to be a bit more well-rounded with my viewing. This year I did a pretty good job. I saw 7 of the 10 films before the nomination list came out. I think the nominations this year were pretty well-rounded. There are a couple of big-money films (Barbie and Oppenheimer), two foreign films (The Zone of Interest, Anatomy of a Fall), a couple arthouse films (Poor Things, Past Lives), a throwback Oscar film (The Holdovers), and a few standard Oscar bait type films (American Fiction, Maestro, Killers of the Flower Moon). There also weren't any big unexpected films on the list. These 10 films were pretty much what I predicted. With that all being said, here are my thoughts and ranking of the 10 Best Picture nominations. Below my ranking, are predictions for all of the awards tonight. 

10. The Zone of Interest

This is the one movie on this list that I don't really get. The Zone of Interest centers around a German family that lives next to and works at the concentration camp, Auschwitz. From a filmmaking standpoint, it is a very well-made movie. The acting is great, the sets look good and the cinematography is very well done. The movie also does a great job of setting the right tone. Even though there is nothing horrible happening on screen, you can still feel this sense of dread as you know what is going on in the background. The big issue I have with this movie is that I struggled to see the purpose of it. It doesn't convey the horrors of Auschwitz, nor does it have the family go through any sort of struggle or guilt with living next to it. The movie is essentially giving us a day in the life of a Nazi family. There is no sort of character arc nor is there anything really accomplished in the story. The characters are terrible people living next to a concentration at the beginning of the movie and terrible people living next to a concentration camp at the end of the movie. It is almost like the movie was trying to make Nazis relatable which I just had a hard time with. Overall, I can appreciate the craft of the people but really don't understand the purpose behind it. I am sure there is a deeper meaning to it but I am just too dumb to understand it. 

Score: 5/10 Grade: C

9. Maestro

Maestro is a movie that I appreciated more than actually enjoyed. Maestro centers around Leonard Bernstein and his relationship with his wife Felicia Montealegre. It is a very character-focused story instead of a plot-focused story and reminded a lot of last year's movie, Tar. This movie does a great job of paying homage to older Hollywood movies, especially in the first half of the film. Both Carey Mulligan and Bradley Cooper give fantastic performances. They both do a great job of showing their character's journeys over the course of many years. They do great as the 20-something young artists and as the 70-something adults. Both are deserving of acting Oscars and have a decent shot of being nominated. I also liked the soundtrack of the movie and how it incorporates Leonard Bernstein's music. I also like the way the movie was shot. It was done in a very traditional way that is similar to classic Hollywood films. There isn't too much wrong with this movie. The only slight issue was that the character development was a bit rushed at times. The main issue is that this type of movie just isn't really my thing. I found myself a bit bored as the story just wasn't interesting to me. All people will like it for its literary craft but it is just not for me. In the end, I can appreciate what it was going for but this movie just isn't for me. 

Score: 6.5/10 Grade: B-

8. Past Lives

Past Lives is another movie that I can appreciate the quality more than enjoy the movie. Past Lives centers around two Chinese childhood friends who reunite after 25 years. The writing and dialogue are easily the best part of this movie. The conversations between the two main characters are so simple yet keep you engaged at the same time. I also think the movie does a great job of showing the main characters grow and change over the course of 25 years. This movie is classified as a romance but really it is more about just a deep connection between two characters. The movie also does a great job of taking a seemingly boring premise and making it interesting and easy to invest in. The main reason for its lower placement is that the movie is just really not my thing. I find the basic premise kind of silly. I think it is weird that the main female character just wants to go off into the city with her childhood crush and her husband is just cool with it. I just found it really hard to buy into. I also thought it was strange that someone would fly across the world to see someone that hadn't spoken to in 12 years. Overall, everything about the movie is very well done, I just really struggled with the setup and found it silly. 

Score: 7/10 Grade: B

7. Poor Things

Poor Things is probably the most unique film on this list. Poor Things is a Frankenstein-type story about a woman, Bella Baxter that is brought back to life. This movie just looks totally different than any movie I have seen. The set pieces look so unique with many backgrounds looking much like a painted background used in old Hollywood. I also thought the way the movie was shot was very different as there were a lot of unique camera shots that felt like we were viewing events through a peephole in a door. Emma Stone is fantastic as Bella Baxter. I think the best actress Oscar is hers for the taking. She does an amazing job of portraying a woman whose mind is growing while her body is staying the same. She does a great job acting like a young child and a fully grown adult. I also like how the movie shows us her evolution and growth sort of like a coming-of-age story as she explores different aspects of everyday life. I also thought Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe were great in their supporting roles. The main thing holding this film back was that I felt some aspects were a bit much at times. There are whole subplots about masturbation, Sex, and a whole sequence where Bella takes up residence as a prostitute and I just felt all that to be a bit much for me. In the end, there are a lot of great moments in this movie but I just felt the sexual aspects got to be a bit gratuitous at times. 

Score: 7/10 Grade: B

6. Barbie

While clearly not the target audience, I still had a good amount of fun with this film. Margot Robbie does a great job as the stereotypical Barbie. Ryan Gosling also does a great job as Ken. I did not realize how funny he was as he steals every scene that he is in. I also like the attention to detail this movie has. In Barbieland, everything is set up exactly like the toy with the Barbies moving how they would if kids were playing with them. There are also quite a few references to Barbie outfits and toys that people who played with Barbie will very much appreciate. I also felt there was a very good message in the movie that has something to say about both Men's and Women's roles in society. However, there are a few significant issues that hold the film back for me. One of the issues is that some of the characters are a bit underdeveloped. The mom and daughter characters are significant to the story but get a very rushed and lackluster arc. I think the movie should have spent a little more time with their growth as they spend time with Barbie. I also thought there was a bit of a tone issue at times. The movie tries to say something serious but then throws in a joke right after making it a bit difficult to take the important thing seriously. Overall, the movie achieved exactly what it was going for. This movie is just really not my thing and has a few too many plot and tone issues to put it higher on this list. 

Score: 7/10 Grade: B

5. American Fiction

American Fiction ended up being a lot funnier than I thought it was going to be. The movie does a great job of combining seemingly two independent types of movies into one story. The movie is a satirical comedy about white people's perception of African Americans in media and culture and is also a family drama about a man who has been isolating himself from his family. Both ideas work really well and actually manage to play off of each other in a fun way. Jeffery Wright is great as the lead in this movie. His performance shows that he can be incredibly funny while also showing how great of an actor he is. I am not surprised that he got nominated for Best Actor. While the movie advertised the satirical book author storyline, I actually found the family drama side of the movie to be much more compelling. While both are very good, I thought the family drama just filled out the story a bit better. The biggest thing keeping this out of the top 3 is that I felt the movie didn't quite stick the landing. I didn't think the ending was as clever as the movie thought it was nor really close things in a satisfying way. I also felt that a few of the subplots were a bit unnecessary and didn't really add much to the story. In the end, this was a well-made movie that just didn't quite stick the landing keeping it out of the A-grade range. 

Score: 8/10 Grade: B+

4. Anatomy of a Fall

Anatomy of a Fall is the last film on this list that I saw. I managed to get it in 4 days before the Oscars. Anatomy of a Fall is a French courtroom drama and centers around Sandra Voyter as she is put on trial after the unexpected death of her husband. I enjoyed this movie a lot more than I was expecting. It probably has the best writing out of any of the movies on this list. There are a lot of very well-acted scenes and great performances from everyone involved. I like how this movie is kind of a mix of a whodunit and a courtroom drama. There is a bit of a mystery around the murder of the husband as well as a lot of tense moments whenever we are in the courtroom. The movie also gives an interesting take on the trial. While the premise of the trial is whether Sandra kills her husband, it ends up being a trial of her marriage as a whole as we get to see the entire relationship dissected. The characters are also quite complex. We want Sandra to be innocent but at the same time, she comes across as a very flawed person that is clearly not as innocent as she claims. I don't have much wrong with this movie. I just like the other three on the list more. Overall, this is a very well-done movie that tells an interesting tale of a woman and her marriage on trial.

Score: 8.5/10 Grade: A-

3. Killers of the Flower Moon

Killers of the Flower Moon is the newest film from Martin Scorsese. I actually started to like this movie more after reading the book. Of course, this movie has great Oscar-worthy performances from Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert DeNiro, and Lily Gladstone. All three actors give such compelling and layered performances. Robert DeNiro and Leonardo DiCaprio's characters are both terrible people but they are still likable that you get invested in their story. I also really liked the setting of the movie. It is set out in the Old West. The sets all look so real as this movie was filmed out in rural Oklahoma. I also liked the historical aspects of this film. I thought it was interesting how the movie addressed the culture of the Native Americans and their struggles and relationships with the white settlers. I also liked the overall story. The movie kind of plays a bit like a murder mystery thriller with Lily Gladstone's character trying to uncover who is killing her people. Finally, I liked how this movie manages to build tension throughout its runtime. With a time of 3.5 hours, it has the potential to run slow but this movie manages to keep things tense and interesting until the very end. In the end, this is a very well-made movie by Martin Scorsese that tells an interesting story with solid performances. 

Score: 8.5/10 Grade: A-

2. The Holdovers

The Holdovers is a more traditional movie than the others on this list. The Holdovers follows Paul Hunham, a teacher at an all-boys prep school who is forced to remain on campus over the holiday with a troubled student who has no place to go. This movie is very traditional in the sense that it is made to feel like a movie from the 70s. Everything from the camera style to the score and soundtrack is designed to make this a throwback drama (drama-comedy). This movie is all about three lonely people, a cranky teacher, a grieving mother, and a neglected student who develop a bond throughout the 2-week break. The three main actors all give great performances that portray their respective roles so well. They all convey the undertones of loneliness while putting up a front of either crankiness or rebelliousness. They also had great chemistry together. There are a few scenes that are just them playing off of each other and it works so well. I thought the story itself was very well-paced. We see the evolution of these characters and their bond over the 2 weeks. I also thought the movie did a great job of balancing humor with the dramatic. There are some quite funny moments but also a few emotional scenes and the movie manages to convey them both so well. This movie is overall just such a sweet feel-good story.

Score: 9/10 Grade: A

I. Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer is the newest film from Christopher Nolan and the frontrunner in the Best Picture race. This film is a fascinating character study about Oppenheimer focusing not just on his work on the atomic bomb but also on his time before and after the bomb. It goes from him growing as a physicist to feeling the guilt of creating the atomic bomb. This movie has an amazing cast including Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr, Florence Pugh, Kenneth Branagh, and so many others. Cillian Murphy gives a great performance as Oppenheimer. He can portray both the confidence and the conflict that is in him so very well. The stand-out performance is Robert Downey Jr as Lewis Strauss. He plays such a strong character and is essentially the second lead of the film. He really sets himself away from Tony Stark in this movie. This movie does a great job of building suspense and intrigue from beginning to end. Even though we all know what happens with the bomb, the movie manages to keep you on the edge of your seat in suspense wondering if the bomb is going to actually work. The score of the movie also does a great job of building up the film until the payoff of seeing the bomb test. In the end, this is a very well made exciting movie that proves that Chris Nolan does not miss. 

Score: 9/10 Grade: A

Oscar Predictions

Best Picture: Oppenheimer

Best Director: Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer

Best Actor: Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer

Best Actress: Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon

Best Supporting Actor: Robert Downey Jr, Oppenheimer

Best Supporting Actress: Da'Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers

Best Adapted Screenplay: American Fiction

Best Original Screenplay: Anatomy of a Fall

Best Costume Design: Barbie

Best Sound: Oppenheimer

Best Original Song: What Was I Made For, Barbie

Best Original Score: Oppenheimer

Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Maestro

Best Production Design: Barbie

Best Cinematography: Oppenheimer

Best Visual Effects: The Creator

Best Film Editing: Oppenheimer

Best Animated Film: The Boy and the Heron

Best Documentary: 20 Days in Mariupol

Best Live Action Short: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

Best Animated Short: War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko

Best Documentary Short: The ABCs of Book Banning

Best Foreign Language Film: The Zone of Interest