Many Oscar-Worthy Films Up for Consideration at Academy Awards

By Rick M. Pezzullo

After a few COVID-ridden years, the movie industry looked to rebound in 2022 and delivered a multitude of quality films. The best of those will compete for the Academy Awards on Sunday evening.

Top Gun: Maverick

The long-awaited sequel to the 1986 classic, “Top Gun: Maverick” has taken the box office by storm. This movie is hands down better than the original. While the original “Top Gun” was everything we loved about ‘80s cinema, its sequel doesn’t suffer from cheesy, lazy writing and jamming the same two songs down your throat for two hours.

“Top Gun: Maverick” flashes forward into the future with Maverick (Tom Cruise) returning to teach young pilots and lead them on a dangerous mission to take out a uranium enrichment plant. One of those pilots is the son of Maverick’s deceased partner, Rooster (Miles Teller). The relationship complicates Maverick’s judgment throughout the training and whether to take Rooster on the mission.

The film does a nice job of capitalizing on the nostalgia of the original, while not feeling like a retread. I appreciated its commitment to navigating a complex character relationship. The plane stunts are excellent with a feeling of authenticity. The film will be a top contender for Best Sound and Best Film Editing.

If you are one of the few people in the world who haven’t seen “Top Gun: Maverick,” then you might be missing out on one of the best films of the year.

Rating: 9/10

Tár

Directed by Todd Field, “Tár” is the story of famed female conductor Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett) of the Berlin Philharmonic. While she is an esteemed musical genius, Lydia’s drive and power corrupt her in a way that is analogous to many males who have oppressed women in their rise in the social and occupational hierarchy.

The film tends to drag and has scenes that feel a bit jagged, but overall is a solid commentary on power dynamics as well as how “cancel culture” has its merits and drawbacks.

Blanchett is sensational as usual and delivers a moving and intimidating performance that comes with shock and intensity. It feels as though the secondary roles in the movie are absent or have little presence in Blanchett’s shadow, but that might be what Field was intending.

Blanchett will be in the running for Best Actress, but I don’t expect to see “Tár” take home many awards on Sunday.

Tár is a solid film that is driven by its lead performer, but lacks a special audience connection that puts it in the upper tier of contenders.

Rating: 7.5/10

Avatar: The Way of Water

James Cameron is back with the long-awaited sequel to one of the highest grossing films of all-time. “Avatar: The Way of Water” brings us back to Pandora 16 years after the first film.

Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) now has a family and is chief of a clan of Na’vi. However, his nemesis, the late Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), has resurrected himself as a Recombinant, which is a Na’vi avatar filled with the human’s memories. His mission is to seek revenge on Jake for betraying him long ago. After discovering these details, Jake and his family leave their clan to find refuge with a water clan.

The film is a stunning visual marvel, but it follows a similar plot line as its predecessor – humans versus Na’vi for control of land and resources. I was entertained and the film’s three-hour length doesn’t feel like a slog, but I was expecting a bit more story originality for a sequel that was 13 years in the making.

This sequel was an entertaining spectacle, but struggled with anything groundbreaking such as original storytelling. “Avatar: The Way of Water” should be a lock for Best Visual Effects, but will not be a serious contender for many other awards.

Rating: 7.5/10

Elvis

Directed by Baz Luhrmann, Elvis is a biographical drama about music’s king of rock and roll, Elvis Presley (Austin Butler). Elvis’s career was filled with highs and lows – superstardom, his battle with addiction and complicated relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks). The story is told from Parker’s perspective, which I didn’t think was the best choice considering the famous manager’s documented history of abuse.

For any Elvis fan, the film will certainly please as it paints the legend in a mostly positive light. Butler does an excellent job of mirroring Presley’s mannerisms, bravado and charm. The three-hour film extends itself a bit too much, but it does a nice job of encapsulating Presley’s musical roots and from where he adapted his style, including B.B. King (Kelvin Harrison Jr.).

Butler is one of the frontrunners for Best Actor, but I fear that the musicians’ biographical drama genre might be a little stale and perhaps sway voters. It should receive some recognition for Best Costume Design, although it has some stiff competition in that category.

The film is a solid nod to one of the world’s biggest musical icons, but perhaps should have experimented with a different method of storytelling to honor Elvis’ memory.

Rating: 7.5/10

All Quiet on the Western Front

Based on the 1929 novel of the same name, the war drama follows Paul Bäumer (Felix Kammerer) and his friends who enlist in the German army during World War I. After a few patriotic speeches, Paul and his friends are quickly entrenched in the war’s harsh realities – millions of lives lost for minimal gains in territory.

The film does an excellent job (perhaps too good) of giving the audience a bloody reality check of what happens on the battlefield. This film is graphic and not for those who are squeamish. The acting is powerful, emotional and raw, but I’d be remiss not to mention the obvious commentary on problematic military recruitment in the film. Paul and his young friends are sold on the honor and glory that war brings, but there is nothing glorious about watching your friend bleed to death.

“All Quiet on the Western Front” should be a lock for Best International Feature Film and will be a frontrunner for Best Cinematography. The film is very good at transporting the audience to an unfortunate time in history and is a solid watch for anyone who doesn’t mind heavy violent content.

Rating: 8.5/10

The Banshees of Inisherin

Directed by Martin McDonagh, “The Banshees of Inisherin” is a tragedy-comedy set in 1923 and centers around Pádraic (Colin Farrell) who is bewildered when his lifelong friend, Colm (Brendon Gleeson), decides to abruptly stop being friends with him. Pádraic keeps inquiring about why Colm has shunned him, which further annoys him and causes Colm to threaten Pádaric with dire consequences.

The premise of the film is odd and seems like the makings of a dull watch. However, I actually found myself quite entertained with the blunt jokes and how it analyzes interpersonal relationships and compares its similarities to the Irish Civil War.

Farrell and Gleeson are strong in their roles and have clever banter with supporting actors Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan.

“The Banshees of Inisherin” will be one of the leading contenders for Best Original Screenplay and a dark horse contender for Best Picture. If you’re looking for a film with a change of pace with an original premise, “The Banshees of Inisherin” is worth a watch.

Rating: 8.5/10

Triangle of Sadness

Directed by Ruben Östlund, this satirical, dark comedy investigates how roles in society are chosen when survival is at stake. The film begins with Carl (Harris Dickinson) and Yaya’s (Charlbi Dean) relationship and their bickering over money, their careers and what they want from each other.

The story then transitions to a yacht cruise that can only be afforded by the filthy rich or models like Carl and Yaya. The luxury cruise turns quickly into chaos as a storm hits, the captain is too drunk to care and the vessel is attacked by pirates. Only a few survive to a remote, deserted island with none of their worldly possessions.

“Triangle of Sadness” is intentionally outrageous and entertaining and I found myself laughing much more than I expected at the expense of the characters. Despite the film’s attempts at satire, it perhaps lacks subtlety with its thematic elements that would have made it a little less predictable. While it did receive three Oscar nominations, including Best Director and Best Original Screenplay, I would not expect “Triangle of Sadness” to take home any awards.

Rating: 7.75/10

The Fabelmans

Directed by Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans is a semiautobiographical coming-of-age film about Spielberg’s family life and path to becoming a young filmmaker.

Sammy Fabelman (Gabriel LaBelle) picks up filmmaking at a young age, but is often discouraged by his engineer father. Conversely, his mother (Michelle Williams) encourages Sammy because of her artistic background.

After discovering an unpleasant secret on film, Sammy’s family life begins to fall apart. Sammy, an insecure adolescent, struggles with his family’s frequent moves and bullying from anti-Semitic classmates.

While “The Fabelmans” is intriguing because of the glimpse into Spielberg’s past, the film’s events weren’t particularly exceptional. The film had some awkward transitions and no real climax that provided an emotional connection to the characters.

Williams has received considerable recognition for her role, but she seemed to overact a bit. I never found myself empathizing with her character despite her ups and downs.

With nominations in Best Directing and Best Score, I expect “The Fabelmans” to come up short in taking home any trophies. Still, the film is a nice ode to Spielberg and his path to greatness, but I wouldn’t call it a must-see for most moviegoers.

Rating: 7/10

Women Talking

“Women Talking,” a drama film based on the 2018 novel, involves the decision-making of women in a Mennonite colony. The women have been sedated by the men with cow tranquilizer and were assaulted and raped. Debate ensues between the women about whether to forgive, stay and fight or leave.

While the debate may be unique to the Mennonites, it does provide plenty of insight into to what women in society feel or experience when they are victims of abuse.

Rooney Mara delivers an inspired performance as Ona, one of the more thoughtful and diplomatic voices. While I found the film’s thematic elements to be intriguing, it was not particularly exhilarating, with little action.

‘Women Talking” should be a frontrunner for Best Adapted Screenplay, but will probably not take home much hardware on Sunday. The film is smartly written and puts an important societal conversation in the forefront, but lacks much suspense or wonder.

Rating: 8/10

Everything Everywhere All at Once

Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, this comedy-drama centered around the relationship between Evelyn (Michelle Yeoh) and her daughter, Joy (Stephanie Hsu). Evelyn runs a failing laundromat with her husband, Waymond (Ke Huy Quan), who she constantly belittles and ignores.

Coming from a traditional Chinese household, Evelyn has a hard time accepting Joy for who she is, especially when it comes to her sexual preferences. At her tax audit meeting, Evelyn is then approached by an alternate version of Waymond who introduces her to the multiverse where she must stop Jobu Tupaki from sending the universe into chaos. The problem is that Jobu Tupaki is an all-powerful multiverse version of her daughter. Evelyn proceeds to go on an extensive journey to discover how to save her daughter, but has to undergo significant self-growth to do so.

The plotline is complicated and the film is overstimulating at times, but has a clear and unique message that has resonated with many who are calling it the film of the year. Not only does it explore the themes of existentialism and nihilism, but it acknowledges them in a way that many people can relate to. Nothing in life may matter, except for the relationships with our families and friends that keep us grounded in the present.

Yeoh delivers the performance of her life and is anchored by excellent supporting performances from Quan and Hsu. Yeoh will be battling it out with Blanchett for Best Actress in what is certainly the closest race of this year’s Academy Awards. Quan is also a lock for Supporting Actor.

While the film’s premise may seem daunting to the casual moviegoer, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” is a movie that everyone should watch for its originality, thematic elements and excellent acting. I would be stunned if EEAO does not capture Best Picture.

Rating: 9.25/10

Predictions

• Best Actor: Brendan Fraser (“The Whale”)
• Best Actress: Cate Blanchett (“Tár”)
• Best Supporting Actor: Ke Huy Quan (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”)
• Best Supporting Actress: Angela Bassett (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”)
• Best Director: Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”)
• Best Picture: “Everything Everywhere All at Once”