The Golden Boy

Tis’ the Season but not what you mean, the year hast not magically (or horrifically) jumped right to December (yet). I’m talking about Oscar Season. Fellow movie geeks will know this is the time when we rott together in pure unadulterated excitement over the biggest night in movies.

Nominees over Nominees

Yes, I do watch the live telecast of the nomination-announcement, I frantically make notes, I “uhm” and “ahh” with the members of the press. Are the Oscars political? Well, of course they are, and they are a pain in the butt because some films that would truly deserve a nomination will not make it. Because for various other reasons other films just have to be nominated. So the outpouring of hate towards the Oscars is kept to an endurable minimum.

I have to say, the 2024 nominees had a few lovely surprises in it but also very much the films I did expect to make the race. That is not to say that these films are not the cream of the crop, they are… oh well, maybe not all (but that always kinda happens). Just do not get me started on Barbie yet… thanks.

Viennale meets Oscars

Not only did I have the utmost pleasure to experience a tiny bit of an Oscar ceremony at the last Viennale (far too magical to share this). I also had a wise hand in picking the films I wanted to make sure, I’d be seeing. Considering the amount of films at the Viennale (over 100), I picked terribly wisely (not me giving myself a tap on the shoulders there). From Anatomie d’une Chute (Anatomy of a Fall) to The Boy and the Heron (Kimitachi wa Dō Ikiru ka), from Poor Things to The Holdovers I had a notions, these films would be potential nominee material. And I was right (yes, my face is very smug right now).

Setting the Dreamhouse

I guess I have to talk about the big blonde Elephant in the room that is Barbie. It was less of a shocker and more of a “well, they had to” kind of a film to be nominated. Apart from Set Design, Art Direction and yes, Billie Eilishs’ Song – I would not have graced the film with any other nomination… but boy was I wrong. Not to jinx it, but let’s pray, it does not take home Best Picture (yes, yes indeed I can hear the feminists running after me). I have to say giving Ryan Gosling a nomination for his “Ken” had me do a double-take but at least no Margot Robbie as “Barbie” in the Leading Actress category. Social Media was in a state of pure outrage but I say, Margot Robbie’s peers saw other actresses achievements higher as her Barbie one.

Sorry if you liked the film, I’m not taking anything away from it, I just question the need to give this many nominations is all.

So I guess, I had to give my two cents about Barbie regardless.

International Feature

Terrible delighted to see many of the International Feature making their way into other categories, it was well overdue considering the Oscar’s are basically a show of the best films from the US and if lucky, the UK whilst other nations were able to submit to all categories, the probability to be nominated outside of the IF was unsurprisingly exceptionally low. So it’s a welcome change in the system and is turning the Oscars more open to other nations.

A Month to Go

As you are reading this, I’m about 40% into watching all the nominated features and with another month till the big night, I’m confident, I will get through the rest. I will be posting another Blogpost about the Oscar’s ahead of the big night. So stay tuned and subscribe to my mailing list if you want to be the first to read it.

It‘s tooooo early to give you a full recommendation list but I promise it will come.