Guild Best Cast. I tried to get a handle on the buzz that will turn into Best Picture and Best Director Oscars for “The Daniels,” as co-directors/co-screenwriters Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert are known.
This film annoyed me more the second time. Yes, it’s creative and imaginative and bold and different from other films. More notably its story is both too random and not random enough. It hustles a parallel-universes worldview, nuanced and radicalized dimensions, connected and disjoint lifelines.
Of course, the film had to focus its storytelling on precious few story tracks and story entanglements. “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (EEAaO) is a mosh that manages not to be a mess. Not incidentally, it’s 20% too long. Pleeeease, no Oscars.
Better to consider “The Fabelmans” and its director Steven Spielberg. This film is not an outrageous misstep for Oscar as EEAaO is. It’s simply a good Spielberg film, a lesser Spielberg film. This entertainment works best as a chance to watch Spielberg showcasing his childhood. It’s fun watching his love of movies and movie making take root in his pre-teen and teen years. It’s fun to watch the family dynamics and suburban culture that housed Spielberg’s development.
Better to consider “Elvis” and its director Baz Luhrmann. Luhrmann’s brash entertainment style pays off well. However, its heavy essence bogs it down short of Oscar punch.
Elvis Presley, in this film, isn’t really likeable. Root for him, yes. Blame his fate on his manager, Colonel Parker, fair enough. However, Elvis all too intentionally rode the train provided for him. The film points out that Elvis and the Colonel are two sides of the same coin. Tom Hanks nailed playing the exploitative Colonel, while holding a feeling of caricature at bay. Distractingly, the film seems to be more about Parker than Elvis.
Better to consider “Tar” and its director Todd Field. Unlike “Elvis,” there’s clarity about not liking the main character, played by Cate Blanchett. What “to root for” isn’t about her character, it’s about her comeuppance. It doesn’t step on itself as “Elvis” does, but it’s less of an Oscar contender than “Elvis.” Why? Cate Blanchett. The film is Blanchett, Blanchett, Blanchett, ripe for a Best Actor Oscar. The picture and the director nominations have no foothold for Oscar.
Better to mention “Top Gun: Maverick,” although its Best Picture chances get undermined by no Best Director nomination for Joseph Kosinski. It’s worth a quick Oscar titter that “Top Gun” is merely a blockbuster action film (as in billion-dollar territory). “Top Gun: Maveick” is a solid, even above average, big Hollywood movie and not just a money grabbing sequel to the first “Top Gun” sonic boom. It ages its Tom Cruise military jet fest well.
The other blockbuster movie on the Best Picture list (also in billion-dollar territory) deserves more award category respect than “Top Gun: Maverick.” “Avatar: The Way of Water” also succeeds emphatically as more than just a sequel. More of a director’s picture than “Top Gun,” Avatar’s Cameron also failed to get a Best Director nomination. Though afflicted by “more is better” tendencies, including a clutter of storytelling and special effects, “Avatar” does a lavish job of presenting its fantasy effects and other worldly culture.
The only Oscar nominated Best Picture that seems less nomination worthy than EEAaO is “Triangle of Sadness” and its nominated director, Ruben Ostlund. It’s clever. It sustains an interesting look and feel (including a radical switch from its luxury cruise setting). All in all, ‘Triangle of Sadness” feels too much like movie making. The contrivance doesn’t engage you in a story that feels real. (Even EEAaO, with its outlandish, science-fictiony lifelines, doesn’t feel contrived.)
“Women Talking” rates its Best Screenplay Oscar nomination more than its Best Picture nomination. Sarah Polley, the unnominated director, wrote the screenplay. Like EEAaO, “Women Talking” relies on spreading its impression across an ensemble cast.
However, in “Women Talking” you feel the participation of each community member as critical to the story of women discussing what to do about the awful culture of abuse they’ve endured. In EEAaO, actors seem manipulated well to the cine-matic purpose, unlike the stellar acting delivering an impact on heart and mind in “Women Talking.”
What film should win Best Picture and Best Director? Two films on the nominated list most deserve the Oscar stamp: “The Banshees of Inisherin” and director Martin McDonagh fill the bill for an intimate, small film in an open cinematic setting. “All Quiet on the Western Front” carries the power that epic films bring to Oscar voting.
“All Quiet…” suffers the disadvantage of no Best Director nomination for Edward Berger. (Picture & Director Oscars usually happen for the same picture.) “All Quiet…” also suffers the complication of being nominated in the Best Foreign Language film category. Likely, it will win this category with the boost of its recognition in the Best Picture category. OR divided votes across two categories will trip the film in both categories.
But how good is “All Quiet on the Western Front”? Very good; excellent. It’s stark. It weighs an engrossing ton, not from epic bombast, but from epic drudgery & carrying on & the pallor of dispensable souls. It’s strong anti-war stuff, and unlike the version made close to 100 years ago, it’s told from the German point of view.
“The Banshees of Inisherin” enjoys the advantage of Martin McDonagh’s nomination for Best Director and Best Picture. Highest honors can land on small films.
Without being an arty film, “Banshees” mixes the countryside and its rural people, its seemingly uncomplicated humanity and adds a small existential dilemma. Not much happens in the lives of this film. Well, it seems a lot to them. The “big” turn in the plot is tiny by movie-making standards, but it hacks humanity and philosophy together into rich storytelling.
The acting in “The Banshees of Inisherin” is top notch and well distributed. The look and feel carries the modest human tone compellingly. Its small, mundane magic should win top Oscar honors. Should … Alas … “Everything Everywhere All at Once” … Aarrrrrrrgh. EEAaO will grab both Best Picture and Best Director.
Why EEAaO? Look at the world. What’s going on domestically, globally? Reality ain’t playing out too well. Maybe the lead voting sentiment just needs this kind of alternative reality where people can make things turn out for the better.