It’s that time of year again. Time for me to alternate between doing my part to stick up for films I feel deserved more attention from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and, less frequently, to admit my agreement with some of the year’s Oscar nominees. If you’ve read one of these before, you know how it works: I name the films I believe should have been nominated for Best Picture and briefly give my thoughts on them and then I list the other categories I believe each deserved a nomination for. Lastly, I include the individual elements I would nominate from films that I wouldn’t have selected for Best Picture. Here we go…
Best Picture Nominees:
The Batman-
If you know me, you’ve likely heard me go on at least a little about how much I love this film and how important it is to me. Director and co-writer Matt Reeves and company successfully reinterpreted the Batman legend in this epic noir thriller that stands comfortably alongside the strongest stories in the character’s more than 80-year history. Virtually every individual element of the filmmaking is carefully tailored to best accentuate the compelling story, with the cinematography and production design being particularly striking in their gothic glory. Robert Pattinson leads an All-Star cast with a mesmerizing, haunted performance that instantly cements him as one of the great onscreen superheroes and perfectly performs the moving, human story at the film’s core. All in all, the results are one of the greatest comic book adaptations ever made and one of the best films in recent memory.
Other Nominations for The Batman: Best Director- Matt Reeves, Best Performance by a Leading Actor- Robert Pattinson, Best Performance by a Supporting Actress- Zoe Kravitz, Best Performance by a Supporting Actor- Andy Serkis, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, and Paul Dano, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Visual Effects, Best Score, Best Makeup and Hair Styling, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Design, Best Sound Editing, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Costume Design
The Northman–
Robert Eggers helming a Viking revenge saga is an idea that’s good on paper and as good, if not better, in practice. Based on a Norse myth that inspired Hamlet, The Northman is made striking by both rich visuals and an uncompromisingly brutal story that fully explores the theme of vengeance. Alexander Skarsgård turns in a unique, animalistic lead performance with Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicole Kidman doing fierce supporting work. The film is compelling evidence of Eggers’ skill and deserved more success than it got.
Other Nominations for The Northman: Best Director- Robert Eggers, Best Performance by a Leading Actor- Alexander Skarsgård, Best Performance by a Supporting Actress- Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicole Kidman, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Visual Effects
Montana Story-
The smallest and probably least-known film on this list is also one of the all-around best. Montana Story follows estranged siblings Erin and Cal (Haley Lu Richardson and Owen Teague) as they attempt to reconcile in the days leading up to the death of their abusive and terminally ill father. Richardson and Teague turn in moving work in two of 2022’s best performances, making the characters both layered individuals and part of a complex, believable sibling pairing, and directors Scott McGehee and David Siegel deftly capture both the beauty of the Montana landscapes and the nuances of the tense family dynamic.
Other Nominations for Montana Story: Best Director- Scott McGehee and David Siegel, Best Performance by a Leading Actor- Owen Teague, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role- Haley Lu Richardson, Best Cinematography, Best Original Screenplay
Top Gun: Maverick–
Nearly forty years after the iconic original film, Top Gun returned with a sequel that is better than anyone could have dreamed. The story of Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) reevaluating his place in the Navy and attempting to mend his troubled pasts with both surrogate son Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller) and old flame Penny Benjamin (Jennifer Connelly) while training a new generation of elite pilots for a potentially deadly mission is classic Hollywood fare brought to life with the perfect mix of old-fashioned and advanced new filmmaking. Tom Cruise digs much deeper into one of his signature characters with a stirring performance that reflects his classic movie star qualities and is helped by equally strong supporting work from Connelly and Teller. The script also crafts a more balanced, full story than the lovable parade of sweat and memes that is the first movie, as much as we all love that for what it is. And director Joseph Kosinski and cinematographer Claudio Miranda go above and beyond in the action sequences, capturing stunning, extreme aerial stunts with astonishing clarity and skill.
Other Nominations for Top Gun: Maverick: Best Director- Joseph Kosinski, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role- Tom Cruise, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role- Miles Teller, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role- Jennifer Connelly, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Design, Best Sound Editing, Best Visual Effects, Best Score, Best Adapted Screenplay
Causeway–
Jennifer Lawrence leads this indie drama about a soldier returning from war. Lynsey (Lawrence) suffered a traumatic brain injury while serving in Afghanistan and although she’s made it through the early stages of rehabilitation successfully, she still struggles with returning to regular life in her old hometown in New Orleans. When she meets mechanic James (Brian Tyree Henry), who has his own traumatic history the pair develop a strong bond as they help each other navigate their respective recoveries. Lawrence and Henry are electrifying both individually and as a duo and director Lila Neugebauer wisely avoids technical flourish, letting the powerful performances and story of healing and friendship speak for itself.
Other Nominations for Causeway: Best Director- Lila Neugebauer, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role- Jennifer Lawrence, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role- Brian Tyree Henry, Best Film Editing
The Fabelmans–
Throughout his illustrious career Steven Spielberg has often used his films to reflect on his own childhood and family life. But never has he done so more directly than with The Fabelmans. The semi-autobiographical film chronicles Sammy Fabelman’s (Gabrielle Labelle) childhood and adolescence as he discovers his dream of being a filmmaker and what that means for his personal life while he simultaneously grapples with the eroding relationship between his parents, Mitzi (Michelle Williams) and Burt (Paul Dano). It’s not the best film Spielberg’s made about his early years (cough E.T. cough) and despite excellent performances from Williams and Dano the family drama isn’t as consistently interesting as the exploration of what it takes to be an artist, but at the points where the two themes mesh well together the film is quite something and watching Spielberg reconstruct the experiences that made him love movies in front of our eyes is a wonderful experience for any cinephile.
Other Nominations for The Fabelmans: Best Director- Steven Spielberg, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role- Michelle Williams, Best Film Editing
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery–
Writer director Rian Johnson proves the massive success of his 2019 hit Knives Out was not a fluke with this sharp, delightful sequel. Daniel Craig continues to shine as oddball detective Benoit Blanc, who is thrust into another murder mystery among another group of privileged jerks played by an assortment of Hollywood stars including Edward Norton, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., and more. Johnson once again delivers an unconventional and satisfying mystery, insightful satire of modern privilege, and a steady stream of witty humor and while Glass Onion doesn’t quite reach the heights of its predecessor it’s still one of the most plainly entertaining films in years.
Other Nominations for Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery: Best Director- Rian Johnson, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role- Daniel Craig, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role- Janelle Monáe, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever–
Not to be outdone by the Distinguished Competition’s success with The Batman, Marvel also released one of its best films in 2022, despite the most difficult of circumstances. After the tragic death of Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman the sequel was reworked to end his character’s story, with his cast and crewmates working through their grief as the remaining characters did the same. Director and co-writer Ryan Coogler and company’s efforts were monumentally successful, crafting a film that is simultaneously an epic comic book adventure with gripping sociopolitical stakes and a moving statement on loss and life that is both universal and deeply personal. The film is also a unique visual experience, with exquisitely detailed costume designs standing out alongside a cast of performers doing outstanding work, the most striking of which is the towering, impassioned performance by Angela Bassett.
Other Nominations for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever: Best Director- Ryan Coogler, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role- Letitia Wright, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role- Tenoch Huerta Mejía and Winston Duke, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role- Angela Bassett, Danai Gurira, and Lupita Nyong’o, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Score, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Sound Design, Best Sound Editing, Best Visual Effects, Best Production Design
Other Nominees:
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role- Viola Davis, The Woman King
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role- Elizabeth Olsen, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Greg Goes to the Movies 