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Academy Awards 2024

RGA

RGA

Super Member
The Academy Awards will be aired on March 10th. Oppenheimer is the heavy favourite to win a slew of awards - including Best Picture. I have also seen several of the other categories this year and will provide my "If I Picked the Wnners" list (Inspired by Siskel and Ebert's annual "If We Picked the Winners".

The 10 Nominations for Best Picture ranked. Last year my top pick was Everything Everywhere All at Once (7.5/10). So all in all this was a much stronger group for me than last year.

10- Barbie 4.5/10
9- Maestro 5.5/10
8 - American Fiction 7.5/10
7 - Oppenheimer 7.5/10
6 - The Holdovers 8/10
5 - Killers of the Flower Moon 8/10
4 - Anatomy of a Fall 8.5/10
3 - Zone of Interest 9/10
2 - Past Lives 9/10
1 - Poor Things 9/10

My picks for individual awards (brackets are what will probably win)

Best Picture - Poor Things. (Oppenheimer)
Best Original Screenplay - Anatomy of a Fall (The Oscars probably get this one right)
Best Adapted Screenplay - Poor Things (Barbie)
Best Sound - The Zone of Interest (Oppenheimer)
Best Production Design - Poor Things (Barbie)
Best Original Song - Barbie - "What Was I Made For?" - Billie Eilish
Best Original Score - Poor Things (Oppenheimer)
Best Film Editing - Poor Things (Oppenheimer)
Best Directing - Poor Things - Yorgos Lanthimos (Christopher Nolan - Oppenheimer)
Best Costume Design - Poor Things (Barbie)
Best Cinematography - Poor Things (Oppenheimer)
Best Supporting Actress - The Holdovers - Da'Vine Joy Randolph (The Oscars probably get this one right)
Best Supporting Actor - Poor Things - Mark Ruffalo (Robert Downey Jr - Oppenheimer)
Best Actress - Poor Things - Emma Stone (Lily Gladstone)
Best Actor - The Holdovers - Paul Giamatti (Cillian Murphy - Oppenheimer)

So for me - Poor Things I would give 9 Academy Awards. However, given its strong R rating, explicit full-frontal nudity, and sheer oddball creativity and the fact that it was in the Comedy/Musical section of the Golden Globes - AND - knowing the Academy generally doesn't award comedic films - then I think my choice has very little chance.

This was, for me, a strong group. The top 3 on my list I feel have their strong points. Past Lives was only nominated for two awards - and arguably should have been nominated for its two lead actors (Greta Lee and Teo Yoo). It's one of the great "one that got away" romance stories. Films like this lose ground because they don't have the big production values of the big budget efforts.

Meanwhile the "Zone of Interest" is a film about the Holocaust where nothing is happening on screen and yet everything is happening to our senses - especially sound - this film requires a good sound system to appreciate. It is described as a film about the Banality of Evil - it's an art-house sort of film that won't appeal to many.

"Poor Things" is a film that I suspect Mary Shelly would have enjoyed - a visual tour de force watching a kind of "Bride of Frankenstein" learning about the world and the exquisiteness of being and feeling alive as well as the horrors of humanity. This is the feminist movie that should be seen over the simpleminded Barbie- it is however rated Category III in Hong Kong - no one under 18 allowed.

Oppenheimer is probably the safe bet as it will appeal to a wider audience. I don't think it is a great film but it is a good one and is a respectable choice to win best picture. Still - I kind of wish the Academy would surprise us - part of me wants Past Lives to win (only nominated for picture and screenplay)- an out-of-left-field upset.

 
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I've seen only 2 films on the list (Barbie, and The Holdovers). I hope to see a few more before the end of the week. I've always liked watching The Academy Awards Show...though the experience is usually a bit of rollercoaster ride mixed with a House of Mirrors effect... :cool:
 
Saw Barbie and although creative, I did not care for it or some of it's messages.
Will be watching The Holdovers Friday night with some friends.

Watched Poor Things over the weekend. What a sick and twisted mind it must take to come up with this stuff. Emma Stone did some intense acting for over 2 hours, while playing Barbie was barely an act. Again, I did not like what Poor Things was showing and telling us between the lines, but it was super crazy and fun throughout.

I have Maestro, Holdovers, Oppenheimer, and Flower Moon in Q.
 
Well, I am most pleased that Emma Stone won Best Actress as this was in doubt and Zone of Interest for Best Sound.

I was holding out some hope for Paul Giamatti in The Holdovers and one of my top 4 films would sneak out and win Best Picture over Oppenheimer.

But as they say - it's better to be nominated and not win than not nominated at all.
 
When I saw Oppenheimer a few things stood out. Seemed like the first half of movie I was wondering if the background music was ever going to stop ( the score was excellent but I found the constant use of background music to be distracting). Another is that I have always hated actors who whisper and act like everything they are saying is profound.

I was also reminded that no matter how many people contribute greatly to a project there is always one person that is going to get way more credit for its success than they deserve. I have seen a few pieces of test equipment from Los Alamos and have always wondered if it was used by one the guys who played a part in propelling that project along or found one of the breakthroughs.

As for Oscar nominations and winners, the majority of movies I watch just because they won a Oscar category usually leave me a little underwhelmed. Some are downright self wallowing and depressing and wish I could have my 2 hours back when its over. Oppenheimer wasnt bad but enjoyed CODA from a few years ago way more as it just had a nice organic and artistic feel to it where as the heavy handed production kept getting in the way of Oppenheimers flow. I think only 5 or so of the last 20 best picture winners were excellent movies and many of the best actor/actress winners are just overdone drivel.
 
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petes'picks said:
When I saw Oppenheimer a few things stood out. Seemed like the first half of movie I was wondering if the background music was ever going to stop ( the score was excellent but I found the constant use of background music to be distracting). Another is that I have always hated actors who whisper and act like everything they are saying is profound.

I was also reminded that no matter how many people contribute greatly to a project there is always one person that is going to get way more credit for its success than they deserve. I have seen a few pieces of test equipment from Los Alamos and have always wondered if it was used by one the guys who played a part in propelling that project along or found one of the breakthroughs.

As for Oscar nominations and winners, the majority of movies I watch just because they won a Oscar category usually leave me a little underwhelmed. Some are downright self wallowing and depressing and wish I could have my 2 hours back when its over. Oppenheimer wasnt bad but enjoyed CODA from a few years ago way more as it just had a nice organic and artistic feel to it where as the heavy handed production kept getting in the way of Oppenheimers flow. I think I only 5 or so of the last 20 best picture winners were excellent movies and many of the best actor/actress winners are just overdone drivel.
Click to expand...

I tend to agree - this is the first year in a long time that I have actually felt most of the nominated films were quite good. Albeit not necessarily movies I would want to rewatch over and over but at least good while I watched them. It baffles me Oppenheimer won for film editing and score because I found the score somewhat obnoxious and the story could have been told shaving 30 minutes - same for Killers of the Flower Moon which ran 3:26 minutes. I also liked Coda - I was pleased it won Best Picture as it was not the favourite to win - I did like one other film more that year (Drive My Car) but this was a small film from Japan so it had no real chance.

To give an idea - here is my list of last year's films.

2023

10) Women Talking 3/10
9) Tringle of Sadness 4/10
8) Elvis 5/10
7) Top Gun: Maverick 6/10
6) Avatar: The Way of Water 6.5/10
5) The Banshees of Inisherin 7/10
4) The Fabelmans 7/10
3) Tár 7.5/10
2) All Quiet on the Western Front 7.5/10
1) Everything Everywhere All at Once 7.5/10 (Won Best Picture)
 
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Since I am here, here are my rankings through the last few years.

2022

10) Dune 3/10
9) Don't Look Up 3/10
8) The Power of the Dog 4/10
7) Nightmare Alley 5/10
6) Licorice Pizza 5.5/10
5) West Side Story 5.5/10
4) King Richard 6/10
3) Belfast 6/10
2) Coda 8/10 (Won Best Picture)
1) Drive My Car 9/10

My best film that year was "Titane" - which won the Palme d'Or but was nominated for nothing - 9.5/10

2021

8) Nomadland 4/10 (Won Best Picture)
7) Mank 5/10
6) Trial of the Chicago 7 6/10
5) Judas and the Black Messiah 6/10
4) Promising Young Woman 6.5/10
3) Minari 8/10
2) The Father 8/10
1) Sound of Metal 8.5/10

2020

9) The Irishman 6/10
8) Little Women 6/10
7) Marriage Story 7/10
6) Ford v Ferrari 8/10
5) Parasite 8.5/10 (Won Best Picture)
4) 1917 8.5/10
3) Joker 8.5/10
2) Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 9.5/10
1) Jojo Rabbit (10/10)


2019 Academy Awards

8) Black Panther 4/10
7) Vice 6/10
6) Green Book 6/10 (Won Best Picture)
5) Bohemian Rhapsody 6/10
4) A Star is Born 6/10
3) BlackkKlansman 7/10
2) Roma 8/10
1) The Favourite 9/10

Since 2019
10) Joker
9) Sound of Metal
8) Zone of Interest
7) Past Lives
6) The Favourite
5) Poor Things
4) Drive My Car
3) Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
2) Titane
1) Jojo Rabbit
 
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RGA said:
The Academy Awards will be aired on March 10th. Oppenheimer is the heavy favourite to win a slew of awards - including Best Picture. I have also seen several of the other categories this year and will provide my "If I Picked the Wnners" list (Inspired by Siskel and Ebert's annual "If We Picked the Winners".

The 10 Nominations for Best Picture ranked. Last year my top pick was Everything Everywhere All at Once (7.5/10). So all in all this was a much stronger group for me than last year.

10- Barbie 4.5/10
9- Maestro 5.5/10
8 - American Fiction 7.5/10
7 - Oppenheimer 7.5/10
6 - The Holdovers 8/10
5 - Killers of the Flower Moon 8/10
4 - Anatomy of a Fall 8.5/10
3 - Zone of Interest 9/10
2 - Past Lives 9/10
1 - Poor Things 9/10

My picks for individual awards (brackets are what will probably win)

Best Picture - Poor Things. (Oppenheimer)
Best Original Screenplay - Anatomy of a Fall (The Oscars probably get this one right)
Best Adapted Screenplay - Poor Things (Barbie)
Best Sound - The Zone of Interest (Oppenheimer)
Best Production Design - Poor Things (Barbie)
Best Original Song - Barbie - "What Was I Made For?" - Billie Eilish
Best Original Score - Poor Things (Oppenheimer)
Best Film Editing - Poor Things (Oppenheimer)
Best Directing - Poor Things - Yorgos Lanthimos (Christopher Nolan - Oppenheimer)
Best Costume Design - Poor Things (Barbie)
Best Cinematography - Poor Things (Oppenheimer)
Best Supporting Actress - The Holdovers - Da'Vine Joy Randolph (The Oscars probably get this one right)
Best Supporting Actor - Poor Things - Mark Ruffalo (Robert Downey Jr - Oppenheimer)
Best Actress - Poor Things - Emma Stone (Lily Gladstone)
Best Actor - The Holdovers - Paul Giamatti (Cillian Murphy - Oppenheimer)

So for me - Poor Things I would give 9 Academy Awards. However, given its strong R rating, explicit full-frontal nudity, and sheer oddball creativity and the fact that it was in the Comedy/Musical section of the Golden Globes - AND - knowing the Academy generally doesn't award comedic films - then I think my choice has very little chance.

This was, for me, a strong group. The top 3 on my list I feel have their strong points. Past Lives was only nominated for two awards - and arguably should have been nominated for its two lead actors (Greta Lee and Teo Yoo). It's one of the great "one that got away" romance stories. Films like this lose ground because they don't have the big production values of the big budget efforts.

Meanwhile the "Zone of Interest" is a film about the Holocaust where nothing is happening on screen and yet everything is happening to our senses - especially sound - this film requires a good sound system to appreciate. It is described as a film about the Banality of Evil - it's an art-house sort of film that won't appeal to many.

"Poor Things" is a film that I suspect Mary Shelly would have enjoyed - a visual tour de force watching a kind of "Bride of Frankenstein" learning about the world and the exquisiteness of being and feeling alive as well as the horrors of humanity. This is the feminist movie that should be seen over the simpleminded Barbie- it is however rated Category III in Hong Kong - no one under 18 allowed.

Oppenheimer is probably the safe bet as it will appeal to a wider audience. I don't think it is a great film but it is a good one and is a respectable choice to win best picture. Still - I kind of wish the Academy would surprise us - part of me wants Past Lives to win (only nominated for picture and screenplay)- an out-of-left-field upset.

Click to expand...
I, too, liked Poor Things. A lot. But, yeah, it's unlikely to receive (m)any awards owing to its, um, peculiarly challenging (read: prurient) content.
 
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petes'picks said:
When I saw Oppenheimer a few things stood out. Seemed like the first half of movie I was wondering if the background music was ever going to stop ( the score was excellent but I found the constant use of background music to be distracting). Another is that I have always hated actors who whisper and act like everything they are saying is profound.

I was also reminded that no matter how many people contribute greatly to a project there is always one person that is going to get way more credit for its success than they deserve. I have seen a few pieces of test equipment from Los Alamos and have always wondered if it was used by one the guys who played a part in propelling that project along or found one of the breakthroughs.

As for Oscar nominations and winners, the majority of movies I watch just because they won a Oscar category usually leave me a little underwhelmed. Some are downright self wallowing and depressing and wish I could have my 2 hours back when its over. Oppenheimer wasnt bad but enjoyed CODA from a few years ago way more as it just had a nice organic and artistic feel to it where as the heavy handed production kept getting in the way of Oppenheimers flow. I think I only 5 or so of the last 20 best picture winners were excellent movies and many of the best actor/actress winners are just overdone drivel.
Click to expand...
Oppenheimer, for me, was just "ok" ... 6/10.
 
RGA said:
The Academy Awards will be aired on March 10th. Oppenheimer is the heavy favourite to win a slew of awards - including Best Picture. I have also seen several of the other categories this year and will provide my "If I Picked the Wnners" list (Inspired by Siskel and Ebert's annual "If We Picked the Winners".

The 10 Nominations for Best Picture ranked. Last year my top pick was Everything Everywhere All at Once (7.5/10). So all in all this was a much stronger group for me than last year.

10- Barbie 4.5/10
9- Maestro 5.5/10
8 - American Fiction 7.5/10
7 - Oppenheimer 7.5/10
6 - The Holdovers 8/10
5 - Killers of the Flower Moon 8/10
4 - Anatomy of a Fall 8.5/10
3 - Zone of Interest 9/10
2 - Past Lives 9/10
1 - Poor Things 9/10

My picks for individual awards (brackets are what will probably win)

Best Picture - Poor Things. (Oppenheimer)
Best Original Screenplay - Anatomy of a Fall (The Oscars probably get this one right)
Best Adapted Screenplay - Poor Things (Barbie)
Best Sound - The Zone of Interest (Oppenheimer)
Best Production Design - Poor Things (Barbie)
Best Original Song - Barbie - "What Was I Made For?" - Billie Eilish
Best Original Score - Poor Things (Oppenheimer)
Best Film Editing - Poor Things (Oppenheimer)
Best Directing - Poor Things - Yorgos Lanthimos (Christopher Nolan - Oppenheimer)
Best Costume Design - Poor Things (Barbie)
Best Cinematography - Poor Things (Oppenheimer)
Best Supporting Actress - The Holdovers - Da'Vine Joy Randolph (The Oscars probably get this one right)
Best Supporting Actor - Poor Things - Mark Ruffalo (Robert Downey Jr - Oppenheimer)
Best Actress - Poor Things - Emma Stone (Lily Gladstone)
Best Actor - The Holdovers - Paul Giamatti (Cillian Murphy - Oppenheimer)

So for me - Poor Things I would give 9 Academy Awards. However, given its strong R rating, explicit full-frontal nudity, and sheer oddball creativity and the fact that it was in the Comedy/Musical section of the Golden Globes - AND - knowing the Academy generally doesn't award comedic films - then I think my choice has very little chance.

This was, for me, a strong group. The top 3 on my list I feel have their strong points. Past Lives was only nominated for two awards - and arguably should have been nominated for its two lead actors (Greta Lee and Teo Yoo). It's one of the great "one that got away" romance stories. Films like this lose ground because they don't have the big production values of the big budget efforts.

Meanwhile the "Zone of Interest" is a film about the Holocaust where nothing is happening on screen and yet everything is happening to our senses - especially sound - this film requires a good sound system to appreciate. It is described as a film about the Banality of Evil - it's an art-house sort of film that won't appeal to many.

"Poor Things" is a film that I suspect Mary Shelly would have enjoyed - a visual tour de force watching a kind of "Bride of Frankenstein" learning about the world and the exquisiteness of being and feeling alive as well as the horrors of humanity. This is the feminist movie that should be seen over the simpleminded Barbie- it is however rated Category III in Hong Kong - no one under 18 allowed.

Oppenheimer is probably the safe bet as it will appeal to a wider audience. I don't think it is a great film but it is a good one and is a respectable choice to win best picture. Still - I kind of wish the Academy would surprise us - part of me wants Past Lives to win (only nominated for picture and screenplay)- an out-of-left-field upset.

Click to expand...
I have been thinking about getting The Zone Of Interest ... I'm particularly fond of films that include Yiddish. (I am being serious)
 
RGA said:
The Academy Awards will be aired on March 10th. Oppenheimer is the heavy favourite to win a slew of awards - including Best Picture. I have also seen several of the other categories this year and will provide my "If I Picked the Wnners" list (Inspired by Siskel and Ebert's annual "If We Picked the Winners".

The 10 Nominations for Best Picture ranked. Last year my top pick was Everything Everywhere All at Once (7.5/10). So all in all this was a much stronger group for me than last year.

10- Barbie 4.5/10
9- Maestro 5.5/10
8 - American Fiction 7.5/10
7 - Oppenheimer 7.5/10
6 - The Holdovers 8/10
5 - Killers of the Flower Moon 8/10
4 - Anatomy of a Fall 8.5/10
3 - Zone of Interest 9/10
2 - Past Lives 9/10
1 - Poor Things 9/10

My picks for individual awards (brackets are what will probably win)

Best Picture - Poor Things. (Oppenheimer)
Best Original Screenplay - Anatomy of a Fall (The Oscars probably get this one right)
Best Adapted Screenplay - Poor Things (Barbie)
Best Sound - The Zone of Interest (Oppenheimer)
Best Production Design - Poor Things (Barbie)
Best Original Song - Barbie - "What Was I Made For?" - Billie Eilish
Best Original Score - Poor Things (Oppenheimer)
Best Film Editing - Poor Things (Oppenheimer)
Best Directing - Poor Things - Yorgos Lanthimos (Christopher Nolan - Oppenheimer)
Best Costume Design - Poor Things (Barbie)
Best Cinematography - Poor Things (Oppenheimer)
Best Supporting Actress - The Holdovers - Da'Vine Joy Randolph (The Oscars probably get this one right)
Best Supporting Actor - Poor Things - Mark Ruffalo (Robert Downey Jr - Oppenheimer)
Best Actress - Poor Things - Emma Stone (Lily Gladstone)
Best Actor - The Holdovers - Paul Giamatti (Cillian Murphy - Oppenheimer)

So for me - Poor Things I would give 9 Academy Awards. However, given its strong R rating, explicit full-frontal nudity, and sheer oddball creativity and the fact that it was in the Comedy/Musical section of the Golden Globes - AND - knowing the Academy generally doesn't award comedic films - then I think my choice has very little chance.

This was, for me, a strong group. The top 3 on my list I feel have their strong points. Past Lives was only nominated for two awards - and arguably should have been nominated for its two lead actors (Greta Lee and Teo Yoo). It's one of the great "one that got away" romance stories. Films like this lose ground because they don't have the big production values of the big budget efforts.

Meanwhile the "Zone of Interest" is a film about the Holocaust where nothing is happening on screen and yet everything is happening to our senses - especially sound - this film requires a good sound system to appreciate. It is described as a film about the Banality of Evil - it's an art-house sort of film that won't appeal to many.

"Poor Things" is a film that I suspect Mary Shelly would have enjoyed - a visual tour de force watching a kind of "Bride of Frankenstein" learning about the world and the exquisiteness of being and feeling alive as well as the horrors of humanity. This is the feminist movie that should be seen over the simpleminded Barbie- it is however rated Category III in Hong Kong - no one under 18 allowed.

Oppenheimer is probably the safe bet as it will appeal to a wider audience. I don't think it is a great film but it is a good one and is a respectable choice to win best picture. Still - I kind of wish the Academy would surprise us - part of me wants Past Lives to win (only nominated for picture and screenplay)- an out-of-left-field upset.

Click to expand...
I hadn't even heard of The Holdovers, but now I am now kinda wanting to see it.
 
Watched Maestro last night. It's good, but not so good that I didn't press "pause" a couple of times for this 'n that. Already quite (too) familiar with the whole "Bernstein was gay!?!?" deal ... a close friend was a former dancer in the Robbins dance company and knew Lenny and Jerry quite well during the height of their, um, thing ... so no revelations @ that front, and the relationship w/ his spouse, as 'explored" in this film, was (for me) pretty dull & uninspired.

The thing needed More Cow Bell.
 
Mystic said:
I hadn't even heard of The Holdovers, but now I am now kinda wanting to see it.
Click to expand...

The Holdovers is really good. Paul Giamatti totally nails it.

And a fun fact, it was filmed in the area I grew up in, Western Mass. The establishing shots and a few other scenes were filmed in the actual town I grew up in. The external shot of the diner they go to is a liquor store (or "Packie, for you fellow Mass-holes) in town. It's so strange to see an area you know so well suddenly pop up in a big movie!

There have actually been a few other big films shot there in the last few years.
 
WillVT said:
The Holdovers is really good. Paul Giamatti totally nails it.

And a fun fact, it was filmed in the area I grew up in, Western Mass. The establishing shots and a few other scenes were filmed in the actual town I grew up in. The external shot of the diner they go to is a liquor store (or "Packie, for you fellow Mass-holes) in town. It's so strange to see an area you know so well suddenly pop up in a big movie!

There have actually been a few other big films shot there in the last few years.
Click to expand...
Will, I'm thinking about watching Mr Giamatti, et al, tonight.
 
WillVT said:
It's so strange to see an area you know so well suddenly pop up in a big movie!
Click to expand...
Having grown up in Chicago, I was inured to this phenomenon years ago. But, that said, Chicago is not the setting for "on location" films nearly as often as NYC and environs nor (of course!) Lost Angeles and environs.
 
If you've seen Sideways (2004 Alexander Payne), watching Giamatti in The Holdovers is a little bit like seeing his character Miles, 20 years down the road...which makes some sense...
 
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