Best Picture 2023

In which I discuss this year's Oscar contenders...

It's become something of a tradition for me to write about the films that are nominated for best picture at the Oscars. Once again I've managed to see all ten nominees so I can discuss them properly. I'll also include where you can watch each nominee in the UK should you be interested, though cinema listings for most are limited.

All Quiet on the Western Front (Netflix)

A rare non-English language nominee, this is a German production that has proved hugely popular on Netflix. The German novel of the same name has been adapted into films several times before, including the 1930 film which itself won best picture. This version is by far the most technologically advanced with some incredible scenes depicting the life of a First World War soldier (it's not one for the squeamish). It does change some plot details from the book though which turns its purpose from a thoughtful inspection of the life of a soldier to a more simplistic anti-war film. It's a great film but personally, I still think the 1930 version is better.

Avatar: The Way of Water (Cinemas)

James Cameron's long-awaited sequel has been enormous at the box office and at the time of writing is the fourth biggest film of all time. Avatar looked amazing but with nearly ten years of technological advances, this one looks even more stunning. Like the original, it may be technologically sophisticated but its storytelling doesn't feel very special, though I did like the family dynamic that is created here. It's also one of those films which doesn't really wrap up the story properly with Cameron planning many more sequels. It's a fantastic experience at the cinema but I don't think it can be considered the best film of the year.

The Banshees of Inisherin (Disney+)

Writer/director Martin McDonagh reunited with his In Bruges stars Colin Farrell and Brendon Gleeson for this dark comedy. Set during the Irish Civil War, it sees one friend suddenly announce he no longer wants to be friends anymore and goes to extreme lengths to ensure he is left alone. I didn't love this as much as many critics did and for me, it leaned too far into bleakness and not enough into comedy. It should however win the award for best animal with Jenny the Donkey though (unfortunately the academy has yet to award an animal prize).

Elvis (Rent Online)

A fast-paced and zany biopic of the king of rock and roll by Baz Lurhman. Austin Butler is incredible in the lead role, completely embodying Presley, and deserves the best actor Oscar. I really liked the film but it's not to everyone's taste, straying a little from the traditional biopic format and being completely bombastic. Many are critical of Tom Hanks playing Colonel Tom Parker in a fat suit and ridiculous accent but I thought it suited the character and the film really well. I've been playing Elvis songs on Spotify ever since this came out which must say something. 

Everything Everywhere All at Once (Amazon Prime)

This was my favourite film of 2022 and quite possibly of all time. Michelle Yeoh stars as an ordinary woman struggling to hold her family together who gets sucked into a multiversal adventure. This proved that you don't need superheroes to tell a multiverse story and nor do you need an enormous budget. It's utterly hilarious, regularly completely ridiculous and somehow incredibly profound at the same time. I've never seen somehow that is so silly but has such much to say about human existence at the same time. Yeoh is incredible and so is Ke Huy Quan, child actor in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom who returned to acting after 30 years and gave a hugely impressive performance here.

The Fabelmans (Cinemas)

Stephen Spielberg's latest film is a semi-autobiographical story about his childhood as a budding filmmaker whose parents went through a difficult patch. You can guarantee that a Spielberg film will be well-made and full of warmth and this very much has that. It's also a celebration of cinema and a really heartbreaking family drama. It's perhaps his most grounded and least fantastical film but it's all the more profound for being that. 

Tár (Cinemas)

Cate Blanchett stars as fictional composer Lydia Tár who gets cancelled. This is perhaps the most simply directed film of the nominees and is a detailed character study. It works because Blanchett gives the performance of her already impressive career (she ought to win best actress), making the composer feel like she could plausibly be a real person. Some people haven't gotten along with this at all but I thought it was excellent. 

Top Gun: Maverick (Paramount+)

An even longer-waited sequel than Avatar. Tom Cruise is perhaps the last remaining classic movie star and he gave us a film that carefully manages to blend nostalgia for the original with brilliant modern-day action sequences. There's very little here that is very profound and it essentially just takes elements from the original and combines them with other films, most notably Star Wars, to create something with huge popular appeal. Maverick was custom-built to make audiences enjoy it and this is the nominee which is the least divisive. I don't think it ought to win but it remains one of the most satisfying films of the past year.

Triangle of Sadness (Rent Online)

One of the most obscure of this year's nominees, Triangle of Sadness is a satire about the rich. I very much enjoyed the first two-thirds which largely take place on a luxury yacht and conclude with the most vomit I've ever seen on screen. The final third however loses the satirical edge and drags on for some time without even bothering to have a proper ending. I've rarely seen a film that starts off so well and grinds to such an underwhelming halt.

Women Talking (Cinemas) 

A group of women in an isolated Mennonite (a bit like Amish) colony discover that the men have been using cow tranquilizers to subdue and rape them so they meet to decide whether to stay and do nothing, stay and fight or leave. It has an incredible cast with stellar performances from Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley and Ben Whishaw in particular. Despite the subject matter, there are moments of lightness too. It certainly has some powerful messaging but it often focuses more on this than on being in any way entertaining- why not just make a documentary if that's what you want to do? I'd be incredibly surprised if this won and though I didn't dislike it, this is my least favourtie of this year's nominees. 

Personally, I would pick Everywhere Everything All At Once as my winner and I think it's actually not a decent chance of winning. All Quiet on the Western Front did surprisingly well at the BAFTAs so has a decent chance and I think The Banshees of Inisherin has a good chance too. The Academy rarely gets it right though so we'll just have to wait and see...