‘And the winner is…’
It’s that time again. The time for me to force my wife into watching all the Best Picture nominees even though she will no doubt declare that most of them are ‘boring’. Well, this year, for once, she is wrong. It’s been a great year for cinema, not just because the MCU is in decline but also because studios seem to be taking a chance on high art and interesting ideas.
This would usually be the paragraph in which I list all the Oscar-nominated films that I haven’t managed to get around to, but this year, The Colour Purple is my only omission from all of the major categories. I can’t bring myself to watch a musical no matter how good people claim it is…
Best Actor: Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer)
While Oppenheimer is obviously an ensemble piece, Murphy himself is phenomenal in the titular role. His twitching, shell-shocked portrayal of the eponymous scientist will go down as one of the great performances of the last decade. It’s easy to forget in all of the hype that this is one of the Irish actor’s first major movies in a leading role. Sure, he’s an experienced actor but I would argue that he wasn’t a household name coming into this film. Well, if he wasn’t before, he certainly is now.
Best of the rest: In any other year, this would be Paul Giamitti’s to throw away. He is wonderfully grouchy and suitably socially awkward throughout The Holdovers.
Others: Bradley Cooper (Maestro), Colman Domingo (Rustin), Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction)
Best Actress: Emma Stone (Poor Things)
This was a tough decision because both Lily Gladstone and Sandra Huller are excellent in Killers of the Flower Moon and Anatomy of a Fall respectively, but neither of them carry their movies the way Emma Stone carries Poor Things. While the supporting cast are also great, Stone is a whirlwind. This is a performance for the ages – stunning in its physicality, vulnerability and comic timing. Bella Baxter is one of the most compelling cinematic creations in recent memory and yet it is impossible to imagine anyone else playing this role with such commitment, such guts, such balls — a true joy.
Best of the rest: Lily Gladstone. An incredible performance. I wouldn’t begrudge her if she did win it.
Others: Sandra Huller (Anatomy of a Fall) Annette Bening (Nyad) Carey Mulligan (Maestro)
Best Director: Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer)
Of all the categories at this year’s Oscars, this one is perhaps the easiest to judge. Despite strong competition from both Martin Scorsese and Jonathan Glazer, what Christopher Nolan achieved with Oppenheimer was transcendent. An epochal moment in the history of 21st-century cinema, this could be the film that provides the death knoll for endless remakes, reboots and comic book adaptations.
Best of the rest: The strongest field in this category for years. Take your pick.
Others: Justine Triet (Anatomy of a Fall), Martin Scorsese (Killers of the Flower Moon), Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things), Jonathan Glazer (The Zone of Interest)
Best Original Screenplay: David Hemingson (The Holdovers)
It’s tough to write a screenplay that feels as though it is adapted from a classic novel, but that is what David Hemingson has achieved here despite this being his first screenplay (having primarily worked in television for several years). The Holdovers is a warm hug of a movie. A film to remind us why we go to the cinema in the first place. An instant classic. I adored it. Hemingson’s script is sharp, heartwarming and funny. It’s everything I look for in a film.
Best of the rest: Another strong field. I can’t separate the authentic argument scenes from Anatomy of a Fall and the small-town scandal of May December.
Best Picture: Oppenheimer
As previously alluded to, last year was a big year for cinema. I think that every movie other than Barbie, Maestro and American Fiction could have been potential Best Picture winners in previous years. I wouldn’t begrudge Poor Things, The Zone of Interest or The Holdovers taking home the biggest prize of the evening. Having said that, 2023 will always be the year of Oppenheimer. A magnificent achievement.
Best of the rest: If I had to pick a runner up it would be The Holdovers – destined to become a cult classic.
Others: American Fiction, Anatomy of a Fall, Barbie, Killers of the Flower Moon, Maestro, Past Lives, Poor Things, The Zone of Interest
Leftovers…
Best Supporting Actor: Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer)
Best Supporting Actress: Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers)
Best Adapted Screenplay: Oppenheimer
Best Cinematography: Poor Things