Over the years, I’ve increasingly grown weary of the Oscars and most years I don’t even watch. My amazing wife adores the show, especially the runway show beforehand, so it’s actually better if I don’t watch and groan and make a production out of it, because it lessens her enjoyment.
So, almost assuredly won’t be watching the awards show on Sunday. But I do like movies! So we’ve been working our way through the Best Picture nominees.
I’ve managed to see all ten of the movies, and my general impression is … eh.
It’s not shocking, when you think about it. Films that came out in 2021 would typically have been filmed in 2020 or early 2021, and you may not be aware of this, but there was this big global pandemic going on that limited production, restricted a lot of things in terms of shoots, etc. (Checks notes, realizes global pandemic is very much still going on, cries.)
I have been taking the stand that none of these are truly “Best Picture” films. Then I looked back over the last fifteen years or so and realized that most years, this is the case - though there usually are at least one or two excellent films in the mix.
This year? Well, let’s just say I remain unimpressed. I’ve grouped these into several buckets.
The Yeah…they’re good movies, but really? nominees
Licorice Pizza: I love Paul Thomas Anderson, and such of what I like about him is here. I’ve heard a description of this as the film is really a memory, which is why it’s dreamlike and hazy and also essentially without a plot. Maybe. But it felt very similar to Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, a film that was free of plot and just a great portrayal of “a moment in time.” That’s, generally speaking, not enough for me. The insertion of stereotypical Asian tropes wasn’t great either (nor was PTA’s ‘defense’ of them) and the entire Sean Penn sequence could have been deleted with literally zero impact on the film.
West Side Story: It’s well done. It’s nice that a version of this movie now exists where people aren’t in brown face. And not to minimize that, but I don’t really think that is what motivated Steven Spielberg and others to do this. (Also, at its core it’s still a story mostly about Puerto Ricans being told by white dudes. That said, I did appreciate that there was again, not white people in brown face, and a lot more - untranslated - Spanish that felt more real.) All of this is to say, I don’t know WHY they remade this film. And that’s sort of a problem.
Belfast: My favorite part of this is the realization that 90 minute movies still exist! I kid (but only sort of). But it’s a nice, small story about a brief period in time when the Troubles began in Northern Ireland. I’m glad I saw it. There’s way too much Van Morrison, but that’s actually just a quibble. It’s just not the kind of movie I’d rush to recommend to anyone, and I feel like that’s a bare minimum requirement for the very best picture of a given year.
King Richard: I liked this film more than I’d expected, and I’m sure Will Smith will win an Oscar for his performance. The tennis was shockingly good and the actors playing Venus and Serena were tremendous. My problem with biopics - especially when the individual or estate of the person in question is involved - is we are so clearly seeing a one-sided story. There’s a moment where there’s a reference to Richard Williams son who … who? Where? Anyway, it’s a good movie but it’s a bit too hand wrapped for me. That said, Jon Bernthal was so good it’s not even funny.
The Power of the Dog: This is the leader in the clubhouse to win Best Picture, and it’s certainly beautiful, moving and has several outstanding performances in it. I liked it. But, again, I was left feeling like, “Wait…that’s it?” I won’t be upset if this wins, but it felt very much like I was missing something.
Don’t Look Up - I just watched this and honestly, I’d heard very mediocre thjngs about it, to the degree that it actually exceeded my expectations. It’s not the subtlest film, to say the very least, and though I agree with basically all the sentiments that the movie is quite literally screaming about, the film feels at least way too charmed with itself. I did like it, to be clear. But it should have been much, much better.
Another category - the “I really respect what they did here, but I didn’t LOVE it as much as I should have.”
(A note here that I really need to work on my category names. That does not slap.)
Two films meet this classification.
Dune: Having never read the book, I spent at least the first 30-40 minutes wondering what exactly I was watching. After that, I think know what was happening but in all honesty I am quite sure I missed quite a bit. A movie shouldn’t be only for folks who have read a 400-page book published almost sixty years ago. But in spite of all of that, I’ve always heard that this was a novel that simply could NOT be put to film. It was too complex, too layered and too internal of a novel to make sense on film. And despite my confusion at times, it absolutely DID work as a film, and I for sure want to see the sequel.
Nightmare Alley: This is perhaps the one film I liked more several days after seeing it. And I really DID like it. I’m a sucker for anything that involves a long con, and film noir, and this did both with the backdrop of a freak show/circus show in the early part of the 20th century. Visually the film is outstanding, and Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Willem Dafoe, David Strathairn, Richard Jenkins and others are just terrific. It’s a weird movie, and I think my initial reaction was to be a bit surprised that it was nominated, or frankly even made. It’s super impressive, and probably a movie I’d really enjoy watching again.
Movies I Really Liked
Again, neither of these are in my mind perfect films and in both cases, I think the criticism against them is totally fair. But for whatever reason they moved me and I think any praise and awards they receive is awesome.
Drive My Car: For a guy who earlier praised Belfast for being 90 minutes, putting a three hour movie here, in which very little actual action happens, may seem hypocritical. But of course, opinions are subjective. And I’m admittedly a sucker for author Haruki Murakami, whose short story is the basis for this movie. There’s no way to describe this movie that would make someone want to see it - it’s about a theater director, still traumatized from an incident that occurs about 40 minutes into the movie, putting on a production of a Chekhov play (“Uncle Vanya”), and being escorted from his hotel each day by a driver. Of course, it’s about much more than that, thematically, and there are so many beautiful moments and messages, I simply loved it. YES, it’s slow - and I get that many people will argue that nothing really happens, or not enough to fill that time. Sometimes it works for you, sometimes it doesn’t.
CODA: My review on Letterboxd said simply, “Trying to think of a flaw in this movie and really struggling. I really loved this.” And I will stand by that. However, I do get that some folks think it’s too saccharine and feel-good, and sure - my inner cynic agrees with this wholeheartedly. Or, rather, I would if I hadn’t seen it. Because it felt very real, and honest, and it’s not the worst thing in the world to feel good after seeing a movie. It’s the only film that brought me to tears on this entire list, and whether I was manipulated into that or not, I sort of don’t care.
My guess is that Power of the Dog wins, and again that’s fine. Perhaps 2022 will yield better films. But this is not to say 2021 was a truly bad year for films. For what it’s worth, here’s a list of movies that were released in 2021 that I liked more than many films on this list:
The Trip
The Last Duel
Bo Burnham: Inside
Nobody
C’mon C’mon
Spiderman: No Way Home
Encanto
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Pig
Val (documentary)
The Alpinist (documentary)
The Rescue (documentary)
And, I think I need to rewatch The Green Knight again as I clearly missed something. Or many things.
anyone who would try to make a film of a Haruki M. story and succeed needs to win an award in my estimation. I loved this film as I love everything Murakami.... second dad
Really comprehensive view. Agree on most all. I was bored halfway through "Drive My Car" and can't understand why anyone would love it.