Today is the last post on my Oscar Edit 2020 – the BEST PICTURE category. I got the pleasure to see each nominated film this year. Each one outstanding in its own way even though some will not be staying in my collection. I hope you like reading through My Oscar Edit as much as I had creating it.
FORD VS FERRARI
- Production: Twentieth Century Fox
- Duration: 152 min.
- Rating:
I simply didn‘t enjoy it. The only thing making these 2 hours do-able was the classic old-timer cars they used for the film. Couldn‘t get into it one bit. Others I know who had seen in felt the same. Having a hard time believing it was nominated for BEST PICTURE to begin with when there are better films left, right and centre. Nominated 4 times for SOUND MIXING, SOUND EDITING & FILM EDITING. If this film takes home any awards at all, I would be surprised.
“I want to thank anyone who spends part of their day creating. I don’t care if it’s a book, a film, a painting, a dance, a piece of theatre, a piece of music. Anybody who spends part of their day sharing their experience with us. I think the world would be unlivable without art.”
—Steven Soderbergh, Best Director, Traffic
1917
- Production: Dream Works
- Duration: 120 min.
- Rating:
I was hesitant about this film. War movies usually don‘t spark my interest as much, and the gruesomeness is often too much to bare for me. This might be the very first one who captured my wandering eyes & attention from the start. You feel like you are in this with the boy(s). You can hardly notice any cuts, so it feels like a continues experience. Incredible storyline, it had me in tears several times. Sam Mendes at least get BEST PICTURE in my book, it‘s simply a remarkable film. I strongly encourage you to go and see it. Nominated for 10 Academy awards including, DIRECTING, ORIGINAL SCORE, SOUND EDITING, SOUND MIXING, HAIRSTYLE & MAKEUP, ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY, CINEMATOGRAPHY, PRODUCTION DESIGN, VISUAL EFFECTS & SOUND MIXING.
ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD
- Production:
- Duration: 161 min.
- Rating:
I‘m a Tarantino fan, always have always will be. Yes, I‘m not the biggest DiCaprio & Pitt fan but in this instance, he knew why he wanted them in the film and in previous films. Sometimes, I marvel at how he „does“ films, truly – they are a piece of art. I know this is as much a fictional story woven into an incredibly real and heart wrenching one. I have known about the „Manson Family“ – I‘m vastly interested in Cults and their Leaders and I do like to educate myself in that field heavily. This might very well be an acquired-taste kind of a film, but I‘m sure if you give it a try, you will enjoy Tarantino’s craftsmanship as a director. Nominate for 10 Oscars including BEST PICTURE, ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY, DIRECTING, LEADING ACTOR, SUPPORTING ACTOR, COSTUME DESIGN, CINEMATOGRAPHY, PRODUCTION DESIGN, SOUND MIXING & SOUND EDITING.
JOJO RABBIT
- Production: TSG Entertainment
- Duration: 110 min.
- Rating:
At first, I though this one was by Wes Anderson (a favourite director of mine) but was surprised when I found it wasn’t. The narrative easy, the almost comedic portrayal of one of the worlds darkest times, incredibly well thought out. This is not your typical WWII film; this is different and brilliantly so. Nominated for BEST PICTURE, SUPPORTING ACTRESS, ADAPTED SCREENPLAY, COSTUME DESIGN, PRODUCTION DESIGN & FILM EDITING.
“Stay weird. Stay different. And then when it’s your turn and you are standing on this stage, please pass the same message to the next person who comes along. Thank you so much.”
— Graham Moore, Best Adapted Screenplay, The Imitation Game
LITTLE WOMEN
- Production: Columbia Pictures
- Duration: 135 min.
- Rating:
I‘m not hiding the fact, that I love adaptions of my favourite books especially these kinds. It wasn‘t as beautiful as I had it envisioned to be, but it brought tears to my eyes several times. Nominated for BEST LEADING ACTRESS, BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, BEST SCORE, BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY, BEST PICTURE & BEST COSTUME DESIGN. A few of these nominations I couldn‘t understand as others would have been more deserving of that nomination, but the academy surely has her reasons. This film will stay in my collection but if you don‘t enjoy these types of films, you might not like it yourself even though the Leading Lady is outstanding and the Costumes and Score (I just adore Alexandre Desplat) both beautifully made.
MARIAGE STORY
- Production: Netflix
- Duration: 137 min.
- Rating:
First off, I didn‘t hate it. It took time to get into the film and by the end I felt like I have experienced it all with them, which is a rare thing to happen. Nominated 6 times for both BEST LEADING ACTOR & BEST LEADING ACTRESS as well as BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS (which I wouldn‘t have given to Laura Dern). BEST ORIGINAL SCORE by another one of my favourite Composers Randy Newman, BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY – incredibly well written and BEST PICTURE which is well deserved a nomination. I‘m glad I’ve watched it; it might not be a classical masterpiece but it‘s an impressive film regardless.
PARASITE
- Production: Barunson E&A
- Duration: 132 min.
- Rating:
I‘m at a loss for words. Probably the most accurately named film this year, a frightening social study almost. A surprising amount of nomination including BEST PICTURE, BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM, DIRECTING, BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY. This is an incredibly difficult film to watch, at least for me and I cannot say, that I‘d keep it in my collection. It is however one I think everyone should watch at least once. I‘m not going into detail about it, I wouldn‘t know how in this case.
“This moment is so much bigger than me. This moment is for Dorothy Dandridge, Lena Horne, Diahann Carroll. It’s for the women that stand beside me: Jada Pinkett, Angela Bassett, Vivica Fox. And it’s for every nameless, faceless woman of colour that now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened.”
— Halle Berry, Best Actress, Monster’s Ball
JOKER
- Production: Warner Bros.
- Duration: 122 min.
- Rating:
One if not the most exceptional film I have seen this season. From production design to directing, scoring etc. this one has it all and deservedly so. Joker gripped me almost within the first minute and it is a masterpiece in and of itself. I‘m not a Marvel or DC universe kinda gal, never was (I did appreciate Tim Burton’s idea of a Batman film as a kid though) – I strongly believe, this film cannot be put in this category of films what do ever. It is soooo much more and I‘m willing to say, it‘s an important look at our ignorance at mental illnesses, abuse and how we treat people suffering from these issues. With 11 Nominations, it is a strong contester for the big ones but I‘m willing to say if no other statue that evening, Juaquin Phoenix will take the one for BEST LEADING ACTOR home for sure. Other nominees include: BEST PICTURE, ADAPTED SCREENPLAY, CINEMATOGRAPHY, COSTUME DESIGN, HAIR & MAKEUP, ORIGINAL SCORE, FILM EDITING, SOUND MIXING & SOUND EDITING.
THE IRISHMAN
- Production: Netflix
- Duration: 209 min.
- Rating:
I love the films of this Grandmaster of Cinema. I may not love them all but his work has always stood out to me and I learned so much from his films and how to build a character, scene just about everything. Incredible craftsmanship and sadly it only got a limited theatre run (which was only done to getting eligible for the Academy Awards). This is a mammoth of a film – over 3 hours in length it can feel a bit heavy in some instances, but I can understand why it needed this length overall. Nominated for massive 10 Oscars – DIRECTING, BEST SUPPORTING ACTORS, SCORE, VISUAL EFECTS, CINEMATOGRAPHY, FILM EDITING, PRODUCTION DESIGN, COSTUME DESIGN & ADAPTED SCREENPLAY – I‘m sure it will be a big overall winner come Oscar Sunday.
THE OSCAR EDIT 2020 – Best Animated Features
THE OSCAR EDIT 2020 – The one & two time nominated Films P. I
THE OSCAR EDIT 2020 – The one & two time nominated Films P. II
