The Oscars are finally upon us and the best in film from 2022 is all set to be gloriously celebrated on this one prestigious night. With 2022 having seen the release of some really great movies, it sure seems to be like a tough year deciding in who actually will take home the biggest award of the night. All the nominees have that one peculiar thing that make them standout from each other, and it is a pretty neck-to-neck competition we have found ourselves in. Oscars 2023: From Jimmy Kimmel As Host, Emily Blunt Presenting to Rihanna’s Performance and More; Here’s the Where, Who, When and What for the 95th Academy Awards.
Movies like Top Gun: Maverick and Avatar: The Way of Water proved that big budget blockbusters have their own space in the Oscars run while outings like The Fabelmans and The Banshees of Inisherin made for some marvelous stories. The biggest surprise also comes in Everything Everywhere All at Once which has been sweeping every award imaginable, and we can’t wait to see these movies get the recognition they deserve at the Oscars. So, with us nearing the big night, let’s rank all 10 of the Best Picture nominees.
Triangle of Sadness
Ruben Östlund’s Triangle of Sadness is a hilarious look into what were to happen if the concept of social hierarchy was flipped on its head. A film divided into three chapters with some magnificent performances and stomach churning sequences, this is an entertaining movie that will certainly take you on an interesting and wild trip. However, it sadly earns the last spot in the ranking due to just how much the film tacks on itself, which can make a lot of its message feel redundant.
All Quiet on the Western Front
A brutal and harrowing look into the horrors of war, Edward Berger’s All Quiet on the Western Front is a horrifying nightmare that just keeps on delivering a heavy emotional beat after the other. In a great lead performance from Felix Kammerer, the movie is beautifully shot with sequences of battles that pretty effectively deliver its anti-war message. There are a few sequences though that do push for more of that heightened sense of war that can rob it of its realistic nature, but overall this is a worthwhile movie.
Women Talking
This drama film directed by Sarah Polley focuses on the real-life events that took place in the isolated Mennonite community of Bolivia. Women Talking is quite the honest look into a bunch of women grappling with their faith, and the movie goes in some many brutal directions that make for some very relevant commentary. Women Talking does occasionally sacrifice some of its dramatic dept to get its point across super quick, but overall the film is effective in its message. Spearheaded by the jaw-dropping performances of Claire Foy and the entire cast, this is a film worth watching.
Elvis
An audacious and exuberant look into the life of the King of Rock, Elvis could have only been conceived from the mind of Baz Luhrmann. A film framed like a 160-minute music video with some really impressive direction and a star making performance by Austin Butler, Elvis is an interesting and a very entertaining look into the life of the real-life legend, even though at times it can very much ignore the more smaller scale battles of the rockstar's real life.
Avatar: The Way of Water
Coming almost 13 years after the original film, nobody knew if Avatar: The Way of Water would live up to the hype, and with James Cameron being James Cameron, he absolutely delivered in the best way possible. Fleshing out the world of Pandora even more while delivering the best visuals you will ever see in a movie, this was a magical experience. The first act can take a while to get into and the movie does at many times put worldbuilding first and characters second, but it does very much provide for a memorable time.
Everything Everywhere All at Once
The Daniels just came onto the scene and delivered an emotional rollercoaster that will take you through a multiverse of emotions. Everything Everywhere All at Once is a film that has a lot going on in it, but all of that is just pushed with the constant theme of love, which makes it such a worthwhile experience. Michelle Yeoh and Stephanie Hsu deliver great performances with Ke Huy Quan’s comeback being one of the best we have seen in years.
Tár
Todd Field’s Tár sees Cate Blanchett give a career best performance. Following the celebrity music conductor Lydia Tár, the movie sees her get into a scandal that might just be the end of her career. It’s a film that will grip you from the start and will take you on a journey that just feels masterful in every step of its execution.
The Fabelmans
Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical is one of those films that will just want to make you pick up a camera and start shooting your own movie. With Gabrielle LaBelle playing the fictional version of Spielberg, Sammy Fabelman, the film focuses on him trying to get over the dysfunctional relationship of his parents while finding an obsession with films. The movie packs in all the punches you would expect from a Spielberg script, and the director delivers an inspiring outing here.
Top Gun: Maverick
Top Gun: Maverick is just one of those theatrical experiences you will always remember in your life. That first watch just hits different and its all made worth it by the filmmaking on display here. Action scenes that will have you holding your breath through the entirety of them, a feel-good story, a supporting cast of charming folks and an action star in Tom Cruise who is at the top of his game here – it’s all just so memorable.
The Banshees of Inisherin
And coming to the final film, that I personally think should take home the Best Picture award, The Banshees of Inisherin was a heartbreaking look into the downfall of a friendship. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson deliver what’s perhaps the best performances they have ever give and Martin McDonagh’s screenplay is just filled with moments that will pierce your heart. It’s a film that certainly made for one of the most resonating watches of the year. Year-Ender 2022: From Top Gun Maverick to The Banshees of Inisherin, 10 of the Year's Best Films That Left Us Awestruck!
The list here is surely stacked. With some really great films, here is looking forward to who wins big at the 2023 Oscars.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 12, 2023 04:29 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).