Best Picture 2020
It's time for my annual look at this year's nominees for Best Picture at the Oscars and my attempt to predict which one is going to win. Last year I failed hopelessly but I have a feeling I'm going to be more successful this time around...
1917
Sam Mendes' First World War flick may not be the most exciting film in terms of plot but it's one of the best made films of this year's nominees, if not of all time. The film is made to look like it was filmed in one camera shot which is a huge technical challenge. The technique has been used by filmmakers before but never on a film of such a huge scale. The young stars George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman spent months rehearsing in order to make the style work but it also means their performances have been perfected. 1917 is a war film that will captivate everyone, even those who would say they don't like war films, and is my pick for this year's winner.
Ford Vs Ferrari
This one is perhaps the most surprising nominee. Titled Le Mans '66 in the UK, the film sees automotive visionary Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale) attempt to create and race a Ford that can beat a Ferrari at the Le Mans 24 hour race. You may imagine this one is for people who are into cars but it's directer James Mangold, who has previously helmed the likes of Logan and Walk the Line has little interest in automobiles and used this real-life story to deliver an interesting character piece. It would be a huge shock if this film were to win and whilst it's a perfectly watchable film, it isn't the cinematic masterpiece that some of the other nominees clearly are.
The Irishman
It's long, very long. The story of Frank Sheeran, a truck driver who became an assassin for a mobster and his crime family was in the making for a long while with directer Martin Scorsese and star Robert De Niro keen get it made. The only problem was that no film studio would fund it and in the end it was Netflix who finally provided the budget required. Unlike other Scorsese films, this one is less violent and more reflective as it gives and moving look at the mobster life. For me, at a ridiculous 209 minutes it's too long and it's use of de-aging technology doesn't always work too well.
Jojo Rabbit
I have to say that I think this is the nominee I enjoyed the most even if it's no-where near the best film listed. Directed by the wonderful Taika Waititi, this World War II set film is an "anti-hate satire" which sees a boy called Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis) be brain-washed by Nazi propaganda only to find his beliefs challenged when his mother (played excellently by Scarlett Johansson) hides a Jewish girl in their house. It was generally promoted as the film where Polynesian Jew Waititi plays an imaginary friend version of Hitler but that's really only a small portion of what this film is. It's funny and moving and thoughtful and is one of most enjoyable films I've watched for some time. It's far from perfect though and is one the least likely to win.
Joker
The film world has been arguing intently over the last six months. Martin Scorsese commented that Marvel films like Avengers: Endgame are not truly cinema, arguing that they don't focus on character and are more like theme park rides. I respect Scorsese but I think he's wrong- Endgame is very much character focused. Somehow though DC's biggest film of 2019 managed to convince people it was something more than the typical comic book film and I'm sure in this context that's how it managed to be nominated.
Joaquin Phoenix, who is almost certainly going to get Best Actor for this role, plays failing comedian Arthur Fleck who gradually breaks down and ends up becoming Batman's most famous villain. Personally, I enjoyed the film but it's no-where near as sophisticated as it thinks it is. It steals ideas from film like Taxi Driver, The King of Comedy and Fight Club and shoves them into the Batman mythology. It does this very well and though the style is different, this is a film which fails to really have an original idea of it's own. Out of all of the nominees, this is the one that I really hope doesn't win.
Little Women
Greta Gerwig's take on Louisa May Alcott's classic novel has been extremely well received. The book was very much ahead of it's time, telling a story of women coming of age which is about far more than who they are going to marry. There's an excellent cast here including Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Timothee Chalamet, Florence Pugh and Laura Dern with the latter two being especially praised. As much as the academy has worked hard to become more diverse I suspect the big barrier to this film winning is that it's going to get very few male votes. It's a decent film but it's one that by it's nature appeals more to women and that's a difficult barrier to overcome.
Marriage Story
Interestingly, this is actually directed by Gerwig's husband Noah Baumbach which means their household has some serious talent on offer. Another Netflix offering, this sees Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver play a married couple going through a divorce. It doesn't do what you'd expect with this concept- these aren't two people who hate each other and constantly have shouting matches, they are people who still have strong feelings for each other but know their marriage didn't work out. They start off wanted to divorce amicably but with conflicting ideas over custody and wanting to live on opposite sides of the country this becomes more and more difficult and when lawyers like Nora Fanshaw (another excellent turn by Laura Dern) get involved things become messy. I really enjoyed this and this is probably the film here which has the best script. Baumbach manages to tell a story which is full of emotion yet feels totally realistic. It's the smallest scale film here which means it doesn't stand out as much but for me it's a close second place after 1917.
Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood
Quentin Tarantino's ninth film is my favourtie of his output. Set in the golden age of Hollywood, it sees veteran actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) struggling to hold onto a career alongside best friend and stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). It weaves this fictional story alongside the real life Manson family and the attack on Sharon Tate (played by Margot Robbie) and does this really well. It's a film which is funny and dark and an excellent love letter to Hollywood which is by far the directer's most mature film. I think it's the sort of film which has an outside chance of winning with many members of the academy likely to enjoy it.
Parasite
I've been keen to see this film for many months after a huge buzz formed on it's US release. The trouble is that it was only released in the UK on Friday and has had limited showings- I couldn't find a cinema vaguely nearby that are showing it. Still, it had the best opening night of any foreign language film at the UK box office so fingers crossed that it will turn up more locally soon.
The film is directed by the hugely respected South Korean directer Bong Joon-ho. It's apparently very tricky to define in terms of genre as it skirts the line between comedy, thriller and drama. Everyone says that the less you know about the film the better and so the plot outline we're given is simply "the members of a poor Korean household scheme to become employed by a wealthy family". Many people who have seen the film consider it the best nominee but the problem is that relatively few people have seen it. Bong has talked about the "one inch barrier of the subtitle" that puts off so many viewers and it's likely that this won't win simply because not enough members of the academy have seen it.
So there you have it. Parasite should win but 1917 probably will instead. Joker absolutely should not win. Only time will tell if I'm in any way close to getting it right...
1917
Sam Mendes' First World War flick may not be the most exciting film in terms of plot but it's one of the best made films of this year's nominees, if not of all time. The film is made to look like it was filmed in one camera shot which is a huge technical challenge. The technique has been used by filmmakers before but never on a film of such a huge scale. The young stars George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman spent months rehearsing in order to make the style work but it also means their performances have been perfected. 1917 is a war film that will captivate everyone, even those who would say they don't like war films, and is my pick for this year's winner.
Ford Vs Ferrari
This one is perhaps the most surprising nominee. Titled Le Mans '66 in the UK, the film sees automotive visionary Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale) attempt to create and race a Ford that can beat a Ferrari at the Le Mans 24 hour race. You may imagine this one is for people who are into cars but it's directer James Mangold, who has previously helmed the likes of Logan and Walk the Line has little interest in automobiles and used this real-life story to deliver an interesting character piece. It would be a huge shock if this film were to win and whilst it's a perfectly watchable film, it isn't the cinematic masterpiece that some of the other nominees clearly are.
The Irishman
It's long, very long. The story of Frank Sheeran, a truck driver who became an assassin for a mobster and his crime family was in the making for a long while with directer Martin Scorsese and star Robert De Niro keen get it made. The only problem was that no film studio would fund it and in the end it was Netflix who finally provided the budget required. Unlike other Scorsese films, this one is less violent and more reflective as it gives and moving look at the mobster life. For me, at a ridiculous 209 minutes it's too long and it's use of de-aging technology doesn't always work too well.
Jojo Rabbit
I have to say that I think this is the nominee I enjoyed the most even if it's no-where near the best film listed. Directed by the wonderful Taika Waititi, this World War II set film is an "anti-hate satire" which sees a boy called Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis) be brain-washed by Nazi propaganda only to find his beliefs challenged when his mother (played excellently by Scarlett Johansson) hides a Jewish girl in their house. It was generally promoted as the film where Polynesian Jew Waititi plays an imaginary friend version of Hitler but that's really only a small portion of what this film is. It's funny and moving and thoughtful and is one of most enjoyable films I've watched for some time. It's far from perfect though and is one the least likely to win.
Joker
The film world has been arguing intently over the last six months. Martin Scorsese commented that Marvel films like Avengers: Endgame are not truly cinema, arguing that they don't focus on character and are more like theme park rides. I respect Scorsese but I think he's wrong- Endgame is very much character focused. Somehow though DC's biggest film of 2019 managed to convince people it was something more than the typical comic book film and I'm sure in this context that's how it managed to be nominated.
Joaquin Phoenix, who is almost certainly going to get Best Actor for this role, plays failing comedian Arthur Fleck who gradually breaks down and ends up becoming Batman's most famous villain. Personally, I enjoyed the film but it's no-where near as sophisticated as it thinks it is. It steals ideas from film like Taxi Driver, The King of Comedy and Fight Club and shoves them into the Batman mythology. It does this very well and though the style is different, this is a film which fails to really have an original idea of it's own. Out of all of the nominees, this is the one that I really hope doesn't win.
Little Women
Greta Gerwig's take on Louisa May Alcott's classic novel has been extremely well received. The book was very much ahead of it's time, telling a story of women coming of age which is about far more than who they are going to marry. There's an excellent cast here including Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Timothee Chalamet, Florence Pugh and Laura Dern with the latter two being especially praised. As much as the academy has worked hard to become more diverse I suspect the big barrier to this film winning is that it's going to get very few male votes. It's a decent film but it's one that by it's nature appeals more to women and that's a difficult barrier to overcome.
Marriage Story
Interestingly, this is actually directed by Gerwig's husband Noah Baumbach which means their household has some serious talent on offer. Another Netflix offering, this sees Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver play a married couple going through a divorce. It doesn't do what you'd expect with this concept- these aren't two people who hate each other and constantly have shouting matches, they are people who still have strong feelings for each other but know their marriage didn't work out. They start off wanted to divorce amicably but with conflicting ideas over custody and wanting to live on opposite sides of the country this becomes more and more difficult and when lawyers like Nora Fanshaw (another excellent turn by Laura Dern) get involved things become messy. I really enjoyed this and this is probably the film here which has the best script. Baumbach manages to tell a story which is full of emotion yet feels totally realistic. It's the smallest scale film here which means it doesn't stand out as much but for me it's a close second place after 1917.
Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood
Quentin Tarantino's ninth film is my favourtie of his output. Set in the golden age of Hollywood, it sees veteran actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) struggling to hold onto a career alongside best friend and stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). It weaves this fictional story alongside the real life Manson family and the attack on Sharon Tate (played by Margot Robbie) and does this really well. It's a film which is funny and dark and an excellent love letter to Hollywood which is by far the directer's most mature film. I think it's the sort of film which has an outside chance of winning with many members of the academy likely to enjoy it.
Parasite
I've been keen to see this film for many months after a huge buzz formed on it's US release. The trouble is that it was only released in the UK on Friday and has had limited showings- I couldn't find a cinema vaguely nearby that are showing it. Still, it had the best opening night of any foreign language film at the UK box office so fingers crossed that it will turn up more locally soon.
The film is directed by the hugely respected South Korean directer Bong Joon-ho. It's apparently very tricky to define in terms of genre as it skirts the line between comedy, thriller and drama. Everyone says that the less you know about the film the better and so the plot outline we're given is simply "the members of a poor Korean household scheme to become employed by a wealthy family". Many people who have seen the film consider it the best nominee but the problem is that relatively few people have seen it. Bong has talked about the "one inch barrier of the subtitle" that puts off so many viewers and it's likely that this won't win simply because not enough members of the academy have seen it.
So there you have it. Parasite should win but 1917 probably will instead. Joker absolutely should not win. Only time will tell if I'm in any way close to getting it right...
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