2022 Best Picture Nominee Round-Up

Better late than never? With the Oscars arriving on March 12th, there won’t be much time to see many of the below before the ceremony if you haven’t yet. But if this helps you find even one to watch, it’ll be worth it! As I’ve done before, here are short overviews of all ten nominees in alphabetical order. I do not predict any winners in these round-ups. Opinions are my own and do not represent Media Geeks as a whole. I do have favorites of course, and while I hope one of those wins, the Academy’s taste rarely lines up with my own.

All Quiet on the Western Front:

This German-made, subtitled, Netflix-only film was a surprise nominee to me. I read the original book in middle school, but I barely remembered it. It’s extremely well-made, with great acting and battle scenes. It’s extremely dirty and gritty, with an ending that wallops you. For all its technical skill, it’s another “War is Hell” movie. We know this already! Realistic portrayals of war have been the norm for years, showing it to be horrifying, not heroic. This one says much the same things and breaks no new ground thematically. If anything, the most interesting part is the main character’s arc from peer-pressured enthusiast to weary veteran in a few short scenes. 7/10

Avatar: The Way of Water:

I love James Cameron movies, especially the original Avatar. I am perpetually surprised at the lack of respect they get from my friends, who eagerly see Marvel movies on opening day. The world of Pandora is so well-considered that everything just fits together perfectly. The Way of Water is likely the most beautiful movie I have ever seen. These are the best wanderlust-inspiring visuals ever put to film. And of course, there’s a perfectly loathsome villain. I will admit the dialogue is not the strong point and I am even surprised it got a Best Picture nomination. But movies are inherently a visual medium and there is simply nothing else as visually stunning as this. 8/10

The Banshees of Inisherin:

I called this “highbrow cringe comedy” in my initial reaction, and I stand by it. The story is supremely uncomfortable, yet you can’t help but laugh awkwardly and empathize with Colin Farrell’s character simultaneously. Barry Keoghan’s supporting role could have easily been frivolous but it’s heart-wrenching. The scenery is perfect for this small story of relationships, and there’s bound to be somebody you identify with. Well-done all around. 8/10

Elvis:

I never considered myself an Elvis fan. I didn’t dislike him; I just didn’t really get why he was a big deal. Now, despite some over-the-top acting by Tom Hanks, and an incredible performance by Austin Butler, I kind of get it. The story is kind of sloppy in what it chooses to include and omit, but the overall broad strokes and tone were very useful for transporting me back in time. It was, dare I say, educational. I still wouldn’t say I’m an Elvis fan, but I sure respect him a lot more now.  7/10

Everything Everywhere All at Once:

This wacko movie seems to be the audience favorite–at least, among most of the people I’ve talked to. There’s also a feeling that it’s simply too oddball for the Academy to vote for it. It’s a sci-fi movie with fuzzy logic, which ultimately doesn’t matter because the movie is all about heart. It’s not a “sci-fi” movie, it’s a family drama in a sci-fi setting. There’s a lot of symbolism, and I guarantee some metaphors went over my head, but what a great experience in the theater. Michelle Yeoh was incredible, and I want her to win Best Actress!  8/10

The Fabelmans:

“Geez, Ryan likes everything,” I hear you say. Well, let me introduce you to the Fabelmans. Directed by Steven Spielberg, this nearly-autobiographical story of his own childhood pressed ALL the wrong buttons for me. Spielberg wants to tell us about his parents’ troubled marriage. Why? What is special about this situation to make it worth filming, other than it happened to Spielberg? It happens to thousands of kids. The cheating mom who ruined the marriage is portrayed sympathetically. The high school bullying is incredibly generic. The father was a “nice guy” so of course he’s portrayed as a loser. The only enjoyable part was young Spielberg learning how to make movies. The final scene is the best one in the entire movie, otherwise this would have been even lower. 4/10

Tár:

If you want a movie that makes you feel dumb, Tar is for you! The world of orchestral music is pretty niche, and multiple characters discussing musical notation and historical composers immediately loses the audience. Except maybe the dozen people in the world that are actually symphony conductors and musical historians. Luckily the movie isn’t really about that (although it spends too much time on that). It’s actually a look at the character of Lydia Tar, played wonderfully by Cate Blanchett. She’s not a good person at all, but she is quite magnetic and keeps you interested (if not entertained) at all times. The ending kind of goes off the rails into what feels like a different movie–and this “other” movie would have been more interesting than the one we got. Tar is basically a character study of an unlikeable character, but Cate is so good you can’t look away. 5/10

Top Gun: Maverick:

I don’t believe I’ll ever understand what made THIS movie everyone’s favorite. It’s undoubtedly got great flight scenes, gorgeous people, and nostalgia…and I guess that’s enough. The plot is a thin retread of the original Top Gun, plus Star Wars. The aerial footage is spectacular, but a lot of the military shots were way too jingoistic for me. But a lot of people really enjoyed the message of “Military Yay! Vroom, Vroom, Pow!” Chemicals spewing into the air from jet engines seems a weird thing to glamorize, but that’s here in spades. I had fun watching it, honestly, but it doesn’t live up to the hype for me.  7/10

Triangle of Sadness:

A tale of two movies. Triangle of Sadness is a funny, absurdist satire lampooning rich people…interrupted by 20 minutes of gross-out “humor” as an entire cruise gets seasick and toilets overflow. This bizarre scene killed the movie’s momentum, and my interest in it. The third act gets funny again, oh, but wait, here’s a scene of horrible animal cruelty. I don’t understand these choices from a filmmaking point of view, nor from a message point of view. What is the director trying to say? Don’t laugh at others because things could turn against you too? Doesn’t seem to fit the rest of the movie. So I’m not sure what his goal was, but this could have been a lot more fun (and shorter) with a better edit.  5/10

Women Talking:

Women Talking is adapted from a novel…and maybe this would work better as a play than a movie. The vast majority of the movie is a debate in a single location, and the dialogue felt oddly stilted or self-conscious. I was also thrown off by the situation being presented, which required urgent decisions…yet so much of the debate was dawdling philosophical or rhetorical questions that did nothing to get closer to a decision. The culture presented was interesting, as was the situation, but the meandering discussion seemed at odds with what we were told. I applaud the nearly all-women cast though. This was a true ensemble movie. It’s just too bad I didn’t think their conversation was worth a whole movie.  4/10

Overall Thoughts

My average score for the nominees is a 6.3, which isn’t great. A 6/10 is basically “Liked it, didn’t love it” on my scale. 3 of the nominees got an 8/10 from me, so of course I would like one of them to win. There are also three I rated a 7, that I’d disagree with but wouldn’t be upset if they won. Which leaves 4 sub-par movies I’m rooting against.

I also saw all the nominees for Best Animated Feature. Briefly, “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” is a 5/10, “Turning Red” and “The Sea Beast” are a 6/10, “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” gets a 7/10, and my favorite “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On” is an 8/10, a truly delightful film that I think everyone would enjoy. As expected, the frontrunner and expected winner is my least favorite–“Pinocchio”–whose stellar animation and good emotion are absolutely scuttled by awful songs and crass bodily-function humor.

The Academy continues to sprinkle a few commercial hits into their nominees, in an attempt to broaden the appeal of the awards. “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Avatar: The Way of Water” are the top 2 grossing movies in 2022 by a mile, yet neither of them has a realistic chance to win. Per usual, my 2 favorites of the year, “Vengeance” and “The Menu” are nowhere to be found, although “The Menu” has had a groundswell of support now that it’s on HBOMax. Which of these did you see? What were your favorites, or what did you think got snubbed?