Oscar 2021: Review of all the Best Picture Nominees
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 31 ก.ค. 2024
- The 93rd Academy Awards will air on Sunday, 4/25. Here's a video review of all eight movies nominated for best picture.
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hanks so much for sharing your list. It's so great hearing other people's opinions on films. Audiences can go see the same film but come out with different feelings than others around them based upon their own experiences and interests. It's one of my favourite aspects of the film fan community - being able to discuss films with each other and present viewpoints that we perhaps wouldn't have thought of before.
For me, my list would go:
8. 'MANK'
I want to preface that I like every single film in this year's Best Picture category, I would just rate David Fincher's 'Mank' was the one I liked the least. From a filmmaking standpoint, it is excellent. I love writing, particularly screenwriting, and so found the scene breaks with script notes a welcome addition to the film. I also adored the cinematography and thought Amanda Seyfried relished her role as Marion Davies.
However, with the film being overly long, slow, and a little hard to follow (I'm ashamed to say I have not seen 'Citizen Cane' and so the allusions to it were lost on me), I would rank this as the film I enjoyed least of the bunch.
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7. ‘JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH’
I remember seeing the trailer for Shaka King’s film and being riveted by it. I honestly thought it had one of the strongest trailers of all the Best Picture nominees this year. Although I preferred the trailer to the overall film, it by no means diminishes from King’s stellar creation.
I, like practically everyone else, was absolutely lost in Daniel Kaluuya’s transformation into Fred Hampton. In fact, he probably gave one of the best performances of the year overall. The film also delivered a good sprinkling of suspense throughout which kept me engaged.
However, much like ‘Mank’, I felt the length of the film and found its pacing monotonous at times. It is still a great film nevertheless; one I did very much enjoy overall.
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6. ‘THE FATHER’**
I am a massive theatre fan. That being said, I have always had a love-hate relationships with films adapted from stage plays. I feel they often lose some level of intimacy from the transition from stage to screen. While I do feel this way about ‘The Father’ to an extent, I would regardless consider this a successful adaptation overall (possibly due to it being directed by its original creator Florian Zeller).
I found this film extremely difficult and uncomfortable to watch due to personal experience. While that is indeed the point, it made it no less a distressing and confusing viewing experience. However, I will say that Sir Anthony Hopkins deserves every skerrick of praise he is receiving for his performance - he absolutely makes the film his own.
I have no burning desire to revisit ‘The Father’ anytime soon, but that shows just how impeccably crafted the film is at leaving an impression on you - for better or worse.
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5. ‘MINARI’**
Honestly, ‘The Father’ and ‘Minari’ are about on par with each other. The only reason I would give the slightest edge to Lee Isaac Chung’s directorial debut is because I see myself watching it more often than ‘The Father’. It is a tranquil, simple little tail with a lot of heart within it.
Much like ‘The Father’, I struggled to get through this film in one sitting however due to personal experience (my parents divorced when I was around Anne’s age and I still struggle watching things that tackle family separation - or close to it - to this day).
David Yi and his grandmother absolutely steal the show in every scene they are in. I, like many others, am so hoping Yuh Jung Youn is successful next week as her performance is truly one of the most heart-warming of the year.
Although it is in the middle of my ranking, I would be more than happy to see ‘Minari’ take the top prize at the Academy Awards.
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4. ‘NOMADLAND’^
Yes, I think ‘Nomadland’ will win Best Picture. And I would be very happy if it did.
I completely understand some people’s opinion that ‘Nomadland’ is an overly long, tiresome, plotless film without much excitement. I admit, there are points in the film where the story drags and it gets down right boring. However, as a lover of travel (and independent travel at that), I found that ‘Nomadland’ resonated with me on a personal level.
I felt like I recognised Fern and her nomadic comrades from my own travels - people who feel most at home when they are on the road exploring the wide expanses of the world. I honestly felt moved by Chloe Zhao’s direction and storytelling.
We may not be able to travel at the moment with the current state of the world, but Zhao reminded us that we are not alone - even when we are alone. It is a beautiful film and a very worthy winner (if it does win).
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3. ‘THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7’
I remember watching this trailer straight after the one for ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’. I thought the trailer for Aaron Sorkin’s film looked cheesy in comparison to the latter. However, when it came to actually watching it, I found myself highly invested.
I do admit that ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ aims to be more ‘polished’ than ‘Judas’ and that it is the most “Oscar-baity” of the nominees (with the possible exception of ‘Mank’). However, I cannot deny that I found the interactions between the cast, its direction and (most importantly) its script astonishingly effective. It is one of the longer nominees and yet I did not feel the time as I was engrossed in the story.
I definitely can see its weaknesses and understand how it may not be everyone’s favourite nominee, but I still think ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ is a well-crafted film that I thoroughly enjoyed.
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2. ‘SOUND OF METAL’
Now this one was a surprise!
When the nominations were announced last month, I found myself nodding in recognition to each title except for one. Until that day I had never even heard of ‘Sound of Metal’. I quickly went onto IMDB and read its synopsis, shrugging.
Okay. Sounds all right, but is it really ‘Best Picture’ material?
The trailer left a little more positive impression on me, but I still wasn’t convinced. So I decided to just bite the bullet - I’d sit down and watch it. And boy am I thankful that I did!
I can honestly say that ‘Sound of Metal’ was the biggest and most pleasant surprise of a film I’d experienced in a long time. Riz Ahmed gave one of the best performances this year and is an absolute delight to watch onscreen. Having little to no preconceived notions about the plot, I went in not expecting much and got lost in the visual (and aural) storytelling. It struck accord with me in the best possible way.
While other films on this list are ones I enjoy for personal reasons, I feel ‘Sound of Metal’ is the one I can best share and relish with others. It could so easily have been my favourite nominee, but was edged out by the slimmest of margins by my first pick…
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1. ‘PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN’*
A contentious, and possibly unpopular pick. I know. However, I cannot deny that Emerald Fennell’s ‘Promising Young Woman’ was undoubtedly my favourite film nominated for Best Picture this year. Much like ‘Parasite’ the year before, I felt ‘Promising Young Woman’ brilliantly blurred the lines between different genres and story tropes to produce a riveting, personal story that people from many walks of life can appreciate.
It’s been said before, but Carey Mulligan absolutely resonates in this film. She brings so much fun, sass, and even a dash of nuance to a role that could easily be seen as cartoony in the wrong hands. She, like Kaluuya and Hopkins, deserves every inch of praise she receives for this role.
‘Promising Young Woman’ is an unconventional film, but that is exactly what makes it so special. It is refreshing to have films out there that turn our expectations of the Hollywood narrative on its head.
I certainly understand how this film can be controversial - particularly with its ending. However, I felt Fennell expertly married harsh reality with a whimsical romcom aesthetic to present a story that was successful. Whether the film is loved or loathed one cannot deny that it got audiences talking.
Plus, any film that features a romcom montage set to Paris Hilton’s “Stars are Blind” is okay in my books, haha.
^ - Film I think will win the 2021 Academy Award for Best Picture
* - Film I want to win the 2021 Academy Award for Best Picture
** - Film I think deserves to win the 2021 Academy Award for Best Picture (tied)
First of all, I'm really glad to hear that. It's really good to share and hear other's perspectives on the films we're watching. I read your whole list and, although I obviously don't agree with all of it, I can understand, comprehend and feel that you make a valid point in everything you listed, from the things you liked, to the ones you disliked in each movie. I do feel that Mank might have it's boring moments, specially if you haven't watched citizen Kane, yet. Which is a big flaw of the narrative, to have to rely on that fact in order to make itself more interesting. And, although Judas and the Black Messiah is my number one, it makes perfect sense that for you, its far from it. Anyway, I really enjoyed your input and reading your list and your opinions on the movies!
Great list! Yours is closer to mine than the one made by the absent artist. But i havent seen promising young woman and the father yet. Still, you both make a lotta sense, even with differente list like that! My first place is Mank - i find the cinematography beautiful and the sound design just the same, takes us back to that golden age, all the while, enjoying a trip into the gossip and behind the curtains of hollywood in the 40's
I’m so happy to see a new video on your channel. Beautifully done! I also dig the white frame around the video and title treatment-looks super clean but gives your channel its own look.
Really glad to hear it! ;)
I must say the same! Great to see a new video in here!! Please keep it up, dont go into another hiatus
Thank you for the amazing content, the quantity is spectacular!
I'm really glad you like it! ;)
Gee,, I disagree with almost everything here... mank was the worst thing ive seen this year. I couldn't finish it because i kept falling asleep all the time. The trial of the chicago seven is so very heart-warming, sad and beautiful and minari is also boring. promising young woman is a movie to please millennials, such an enormous trash. could not have been further of what i think with your list.