Finished Watching Last Four of Best Picture Nominated Movies and Made My Picks

We finished our final movie of the Best Picture nominees just hours before the awards ceremony will begin. We watched four movies in the past three days. A short update as the time nears for the start of the Oscars.

Reviewing my update from February 25 (see post), we had the following movies to watch which we just finished today.

American Fiction
Carrie and I really liked this movie. I went into watching the movie not knowing a lot about it, but it was really good. No, I do not think it will win the best picture category, but it was done well. I liked the story and how the story was told.

The Zone of Interest
As I mentioned in the February 25 update, I heard about this movie on NPR one morning and knew it was going to be an interesting movie to watch. Hearing the sounds of the "camp" next door to the family was eerie as the family went on to live their lives, have their picnics, and play in their backyard that was right next door to the camp. 

Poor Things
This was an interesting movie watching the main character, who was brought back to life, learn and explore her world. I did like the movie, but so different from the other movies in the best picture category. Cast was excellent as were the costumes.

Anatomy of a Fall
This was the final movie we watched just hours before the awards ceremony is set to begin. I found this movie interesting although a little boring. I fell asleep a few times while watching. Again, this seems like a different style movie than the majority of movies in this category. I did enjoy the movie, but not one I would watch again.

Now that we have finished all of the movies, I make my pick and know that I have no insight into which is the best movie other than this is my opinion. I believe Oppenheimer will win as it has won in a number of other award ceremonies. The movie I like the best after watching all of the movies was The Holdovers. The Holdovers will win some awards, but I am not sure it will be selected for best picture in the Oscars.

I enjoy trying to watch all of the best picture nominees each year. Carrie and I try to watch other films nominated in other categories, and we were able to do a few this year. We caught a few documentaries nominated for awards as well as a few shorts and animated movies. 

Hopefully you were able to catch some of these movies prior to the big event tonight or can watch them soon. Have a great week!

Oscar 2024 Nominated Best Picture Movies with Short Update on Those Watched and What are Left to Watch

The Oscars are approaching on March 10, 2024. I have some movies to catch up on before the ceremony, but I have watched some of the nominees. Here is a break down of those I have enjoyed and what I have left to watch.

The Holdovers
Carrie and I watched this movie during our holiday break. We both really enjoyed this movie. The whole story and the characters. By the same director that did Sideways so I could see some similarities, but I enjoyed this movie a lot. The character development was excellent for all the characters in this movie. This is up there for my best movie from the lot even before I see all of the movies.

American Fiction
I have not seen this movie yet. It is on our list of course to watch. Sounds like an interesting movie that I plan to see in the theater. It will take a lot for this movie to beat out the leader for me, but I am looking forward to seeing this movie.

The Zone of Interest
I did not know anything about this movie until I heard about it on NPR this past week. A movie about a family living next to unthinkable camps. More on this movie after I am able to watch it.

Barbie
I watched this movie in the theater along with the next movie in the list. It was good. I did enjoy the movie. It was not the best movie I have seen from the list of nominees. The cast was great, the set was just how I would see a "Barbie" set. However, it is not my favorite movie from the list of nominees.

Oppenheimer
A long movie at over three hours. A movie that could have been maybe two hours. It was a story I was not familiar with hearing. The movie did a good job of telling the story, but it could have been shorter. A powerful film that was synced up with the prior movie with people watching both movies.

Poor Things
Another movie I have not seen yet. Carrie and I plan to watch this movie. It will be interesting to see Emma Stone in a different type of character. More on this movie later.

Past Lives
I was able to watch this movie recently. It was well done and good. The cast did a good job in this one. I found the movie to be entertaining, but not a great movie.

Anatomy of a Fall
Another movie that I do not know anything about. I read through IMDB on this one and it sounds interesting. More on this movie after I am able to watch it.

Maestro
I really did not know the story about the conductor. I thought Bradley Cooper did a great job and Carey Mulligan was excellent playing his wife. Bradley Cooper throughout this movie and I found myself forgetting it was him that was in the movie. From his appearance to his voice, it seemed like a different person.

Killers of the Flower Moon
Another movie that I was able to watch during the holiday break. I did not know anything about the story until watching this movie. A long movie that could have been shorter. Lily Gladstone I thought stole this movie as Lily did a great job in her role. 

The update for this week is more for myself to track the movies I have watched and what I plan to watch. I do plan to watch the remaining movies before March 10. Some of the movies left for me to watch are still in theaters, so I am hoping to get to the theaters to watch them in style.

Watched All of the Oscar Nominated Best Films for 2023 and My Reaction to the Films

If you have watched all of the Oscar nominated best picture movies, you know there is a wide range of featured films. From singing, aspiring film maker, and Ireland to fighter jets, conductor, and mind bending jump through time, this years nominated pictures have a wide range of variety. Carrie and I finished our last movie a week ago. Unfortunately, AMC Theaters did not do their Best Picture Showcase this year where we could watch all of the best picture movies in the theater, so we caught some in local theaters, others via streaming services, and others through paid rental. 

I love going to see movies in the theater, so I am glad we were able to catch a few of this years movies in the theater to capture the full experience. I was able to catch Top Gun: Maverick, Avatar: The Way of Water, and Everything Everywhere All at Once. The three we were able to watch in the theater were also a drastic change of style. Top Gun: Maverick we watched last summer when everyone else in the country was going out to watch the movie. The storyline, action, and acting were good coming away feeling good about seeing the movie. Although Top Gun: Maverick seems so different from the other movies it is up against, it does not seem like a movie that would win best picture. 

Avatar: The Way of Water was entertaining with incredible scenes. I really liked the original Avatar (2009) many years ago, but Avatar: The Way of Water I was bored. It was a long movie at three hours and twelve minutes. One of those movies about the second hour into Avatar: The Way of Water where I felt I knew the story, where it was going, and could have ended earlier. Another movie that seems completely different from other movies it is up against, but it does not seem like a best picture. 

Carrie and I watched Elvis and while Carrie went into it not expecting much, we both enjoyed the movie. Believable of Elvis in this movie where even the singing was done well. Not best picture but I think it will win some awards. Elvis is another film I could watch again as I enjoyed the movie and the story behind the entertainer.

Everything Everywhere All at Once was a mind bending movie to watch jumping between universes and connecting lives in those universes made for a good movie. Like many others, Everything Everywhere All at Once is at the top of my best picture selections. The acting was done well along with the storyline, it was a movie I am glad I was able to catch in the theater.

I found that I did like The Banshees of Inisherin although I do not think it will win best picture. It was a believable story of two friends and then it just got weird. While it was an odd film, I did like the film. It took some weird twist and turns for sure, but I thought both the main characters were really good. A movie I would not mind watching again as I am sure there are parts of the movie I missed.

I went into All Quiet on the Western Front thinking I had seen a former version of the movie, but realized I had only read about the film in other books. All Quiet on the Western Front is an intense movie set in World War I. The actors did a good job of the film which was set in German although we watched with an English dubbing, but I think it might have been even better to watch in German and read the text instead. I would like to go back and watch prior films of All Quiet on the Western Front to see how they compare.

When I saw previews of The Fabelmans months ago, I thought I was really going to like the movie of a young person aspiring to be a filmmaker. Instead, I found The Fabelmans once again on the boring side and yes possibly only nominated because of the director being Steven Spielberg. The story was interesting, but I thought it was going to be better and really just found the movie boring.

Tár is a movie that again I was not sure what to expect. I thought the story was interesting about Lydia Tár and unlike some of the other nominated movies, I did not find myself bored with this film. A bit different from other films, so based on what I have read, it will not win for best picture, but again, I can see it winning some Oscars in other categories.

Triangle of Sadness was an interesting film and seemed to almost be multiple stories combined into one film but all based on the same celebrity couple. There was some humor in the film as well as some just plain gross portions. Overall, I did like Triangle of Sadness but again I do not think this will be the best picture.

My least favorite movie of the nominees is Women Talking. A few of the other movies were boring, but Women Talking some a major snooze-fest for me. I might have even fallen asleep during this movie. Women Talking is about a group of women talking and that’s what they do to determine whether to stay or fight. That is all that really happens in Women Talking where the women are talking, talking, and more talking. It was not my type of movie and I do not see it winning best picture.

In summary, a wide range of varying movies this year for best picture. I think Everything Everywhere All at Once will win best picture, but I did enjoy a few of the films. It will be interesting to see what happens Sunday night for the Oscars. No matter the winner, it was a fun process watching all of the films nominated this year.

Follow Up to Oscar Nominations and Impressions… We Did Not Watch all of Best Picture Noms #Oscars #BestPicture

I had intentions of watching all of the best picture nominated movies as outlined in the post from February 27 posting, but that turned out to be a little difficult. Some of the movies were not available to watch via streaming until just recently. As tonight as Oscars night, we have four movies we did not watch. First time in a few years we have not watched all of the Oscar nominated best picture movies. We are still looking forward to tonight for the Oscars.

We were able to watch Westside Story a week or so ago. A lot of hype and of course I already knew the story. They did a nice job, but I am not sure it is best picture in my view. Entertaining, signing was good, acting was good, but some of the other movies I like better. We were also able to watch King Richard which we watched Saturday night. It was good and fun to watch the charger of Richard Williams throughout the movie. Good movie, but again, not what I see as best picture.

That leaves the following movies which we were not able to watch as we lead up to the awards this evening: Dune, Drive My Car, Belfast, and Licorice Pizza.We will watch these movies, but probably over the next few weeks. I heard that Dune was good and better than the original. I wanted to see Belfast as the story sounded interesting. So far at the top of my list for Best Picture remains CODA. I doubt it will be best picture, but I thought CODA was fantastic! Well done, great acting, and the story was inspiring. 

Before the Oscars tonight, we have some basketball to watch this afternoon, a baseball game or two, and then we will settle in for some awards. Looking forward to the day and see how everything turns out.