Has anyone watched any of the films nominated for Best Picture?
The Oscar 2022 Nominations for Best Picture are:
Belfast
CODA
Don’t Look Up
Drive My Car
Dune
King Richard
Licorice Pizza
Nightmare Alley
The Power of the Dog
West Side Story
I’ve seen just one: CODA which I adored. I haven’t been to the movies since the start of the pandemic which rules out West Side Story, which I do really want to see. I’ve heard good things about The Power of the Dog but it sounds so grim–I’ll watch it at some point but I’m not quite up to it yet. I did watch half of Don’t Look Up but found it too jejune and thematically whacky to finish. As for the others on the list, other than King Richard, none of them really call to me. (They all, however, are probably a better watch than Amazon’s Reacher which I thought was lazily written, absurdly violent, and just plain dumb.)
How about you? Have you seen any of the movies nominated? If so, did you enjoy them? And is there a movie you wish had gotten a nod but didn’t?
Not a one. The way things are going, I’m not sure I’ll ever get to a see a movie in a theater again. :-(
I just read online that West Side Story will stream on both Disney+ and HBO Max on March 2, well ahead of the March 27 Oscars date. Yay!
Interesting. It’s hard for me to see a world where going to the movies is bigger than watching at home. I think it will be one of the most durable changes sped up by COVID.
I have seen CODA, Don’t Look Up, and King Richard. I plan to see Belfast and The Power of the Dog.
I absolutely loved CODA and highly recommend it. I have re-watched the ending so many times and it makes me tear up (happy tears) each time. There’s a romance angle but it’s really a YA coming-of-age story.
I liked King Richard too. I didn’t know the Williams sister’s back story and the efforts their parents made were inspiring.
Don’t Look Up was really kooky. Entertaining but I’m not sure if I would consider it the best of the year.
From the reviews, Belfast sounds lovely. The Power of the Dog sounds intense but I’m up for it.
I love movies but stopped going to theaters when the pandemic hit. My family and I only returned to seeing movies in the theater a few months ago and saw No Time To Die and Spiderman: No Way Home. James Bond movies are incomprehensible to me for some reason and No Time To Die was no different – I went because my husband loves them! I really enjoyed Spiderman. Then Omicron hit big and now I don’t feel safe in the theater any more. I have a lot of streamers though. King Richard and Dune were both on HBO Max for a while then left. I caught King Richard before it was gone but I am not a big sci-fi fan so I didn’t see Dune and doubt I ever will.
Pre-pandemic, I used to try to see a good portion of the “Oscar” movies. My husband and son don’t like dramas but once my daughter hit high school, she would go with me so it was a fun mother-daughter thing to do in the winter. Now she’s away at college but we recently did Teleparty, which is a way for people in different households to watch a movie from a streamer on your laptop all at the same time – if one person pauses the movie, it pauses for all then can be later resumed. There is a side bar with a running display of typed comments you can make. We watched The Lost Daughter, which wasn’t nominated for Best Picture but did get several other nominations and is well worth seeing, especially if you are a mother. The acting was fantastic. I’m planning to use Teleparty to watch The Power of the Dog with her – maybe it won’t feel as intense on the laptop, ha ha!
That’s a lovely idea!
I absolutely loved CODA! I thought it was perfectly cast and portrayed. I saw Dune and was pleased in some ways, but felt that the movie lacked movement. Lots of mood and music are there, but exposition was minimal. If I had not read the books, I would have been questioning everything. I’m hoping the second movie moves.
I’ve had access to a couple of others, but haven’t been able to see them yet.
I used to see all or most of the movies nominated before they were even nominated, but now find that some nominated movies just don’t appeal.
It may be obvious which one I’m cheering for, but that may change as I see others.
CODA is so enchanting. Even though it’s an utterly different story, it has Ted Lasso joy vibes. Like TL, it’s moving, funny, wise, and feels very original. The cast is also fantastic.
I would love to see “Belfast,” but so far, only Amazon is streaming it–at over $20! I hope it’ll join Netflix. I have no doubt that Cumberbatch is excellent in “Power of the Dog,” and every one of my friends who has seen it has loved it, but it’s far too grim for me. I do NOT want to see a movie about a pschopath who tortures (psychologically) everyone around him, especially his sister-in-law. I read the book 15 years ago and have never forgotten it. Cumberbatch’s character washes only twice a year; I’ve been thinking about how hostile and controlling that choice is to the people who surround him. I read that Cumberbatch deliberately did the same thing while he was filming. If so, it is the people around him who deserve an Oscar for not killing him.
I read Power of the Dog, too, and I’m in the weird position of loving the book more than the movie – and I love Jane Campion’s work. I do think Kirsten Dunst and especially Jesse Plemons are very deserving of their nominations. Plemons is the much quieter, less showy role in the film. And yet he devastated me with his loneliness and incredulity that someone could love him.
I’ve just rewatched Friday Night Lights which made him a star. He is amazing as Landry. The early seasons are awash in talent–Michael B. Jordan, Taylor Kitsch, Zach Gilford–but Plemons really stands out.
I’ve seen Belfast, Licorice Pizza, Nightmare Alley, Dune, West Side Story and The Power of the Dog. I liked all of them, loved Nightmare Alley, WSS and POTD.
I didn’t know what CODA was about and will try to watch it. I did watch Dune and Don’t Look Up and regarding Dune, I hate cliffhangers so waiting till both available is the smart thing to do. I’m sure the Academy will award the director for such a well done job of Dune (when complete, maybe). I plan to watch the rest when available.
I don’t know anyone who’s seen CODA who hasn’t loved it. And it just wonderful to see ASL so beautifully presented.
I’ve seen 5 of the 10 movies: Belfast, Dune, Don’t Look Up, The Power of the Dog, and West Side Story. Don’t Look Up and West Side Story were fun, Dune was good but I dislike having to wait for the second half of the story in the next film. The Power of the Dog was, as someone else said, grim but good – Benedict Cumberbatch was amazing. My favorite was Belfast because it was well acted, well directed, and tells a really good story of family in a time of troubles. I might try to see the rest of the movies, but maybe not before the actual award ceremony. I’m really hoping Ciarán Hinds wins for best supporting actor as he never gives a bad performance and I’ve enjoyed his work for a long time (the perfect Captain Wentworth in Persuasion).
I’m pulling for Troy Kotsur–he’d be the first deaf man and the second deaf person to ever win an Oscar. His performance in CODA is worth the price of admission–he’s truly a phenomenal actor and his sign language is breathtaking.
Belfast is amazing, I recommend it to everyone. Well written, acted and directed plus a moving story of growing up. Highly recommend. Other than that and Dune none of them really appeal to me, I”m still mad that Forrest Gump won the Oscar over Four Weddings and a Funeral, Quiz Show, Pulp Fiction or Shawshank Redemption
I hate Forrest Gump. #unpopularopinion
Haven’t seen any of the nominated movies but was wowed by Jessica Chastain as Tammy Faye Bakker. She was amazing and did her own singing.
I loved that film, it really deserved a Best Picture nod.
Up until the time I had kids, I would try to see every nominated movie/performance in the major categories. I would usually be part of a betting pool and there would usually be a little party involved on Oscar night. After my kids started coming, movies were more of an occasional thing and usually the latest Disney/animated production was our go-to, but I still tried to stay au courrant with the more important/critically-acclaimed films. But now I feel so disconnected from movies. The last movie I saw in a theater was “Knives Out.” I will try to see a few of the nominated movies/performances on streaming services between now and the Oscar ceremonies, but I feel kinda blah about the whole enterprise.
Before we had kids Mr. Caz and went to the cinema fairly often and I was ‘up’ with what was new and what was coming up, but that all ended when the kids were little! The nearest multiplex is 20 miles away, and while we have a decent local cinema, they don’t get all the new films and sometimes only get the big ones. So I get what you mean by feeling disconnected from it – I’ve felt like that for ages, but I can’t say that I really miss it all that much.
I’ve never been a big movie goer. I used to enjoy them more than I do now, but we’ve rarely gone to movies in our 35+ years of marriage due to the cost of either taking 5 children with us, or hiring babysitters. By the time our kids were adults, I’d pretty much stopped going all together. My husband usually goes with one of the kids, or, more likely these days, simply waits for us to be able to stream it at home. And in the last 5 or 6 years I’ve stayed away from sad, upsetting, or violent movies. Too much going on in my life and II need lightness in my entertainment. Maybe someday I’ll go back and watch some of these recommended movies. I enjoyed Knives Out a lot!
The only one I’ve seen is Dune – which I watched through streaming. I haven’t set foot in a theater in two years and I really, really miss it. I desperately want to see West Side Story – it looks beautiful and I’m confident the singing and dancing will be superb. I will definitely see King Richard and Belfast. I’ve thought about watching Power of the Dog but I’m not sure I’m emotionally up for it. At some point I’ll watch Don’t Look Up. My husband and I will probably watch Drive My Car soon because he’s a huge fan of Asian Cinema. The rest are all “if I get the chance” type situations, although CODA looks like a really sweet film so I will try to catch that one if I can sooner rather than later.
I saw Dune and thought it was very well done. So much better than the earlier adaptation. Also watched Don’t Look Up. At first I didn’t know what to make of it but it makes a powerful punch at the end. I laughed at your Reacher comments. The show really follows the book closely so if you are a fan, I think you will like it. I find the character very one dimensional. For action, I would recommend Gregg Hurwitz’s Orphan X series.
See my husband is obsessed with the Reacher books and he thought it was weak-sauce. He really missed all the internal dialogs that make Reacher accessible.
I’m more of a mystery/suspense reader than an action reader, though.
I’ve seen West Side Story – which was the second time I’ve been to the cinema in the last two years! It’s really good – the whole thing has such energy, the singing and dancing is fantastic and the two leads are great. I’ve seen a lot of criticism of Ansel Elgort but I thought he did a really good job. It’s probably my favourite musical of all time – there are others I love, but there’s something about WSS that always gets me – Bernstein was a genius and I don’t think any other musical comes close to topping those songs. The movie will probably be overlooked though, as it’s too bright and -mostly – fun and not worthy enough to win Oscars, unless for things like cinematography or costume design.
As to the rest… none of them really appeal to me, tbh. I might watch Dune when it comes onto a streaming service; same with Belfast. I might have gone to the cinema to see both of them, but I’m not desperate and am happy to wait.
I will watch Dune when both parts of it are out. And I’ll watch WSS when it streams–the original is one of my favorite musicals.
I think you might like Coda–it’s lovely and smart and the music is great.
The Power of the Dog is somewhat grim but the acting is fantastic. I wanted to hate Benedict cumberbatch’s character but for reasons I couldn’t. Everyone is magnificent in it. Wonderful to see Kirsten dunst and Jessie plemmons acting together.. and it’s not a superhero movie.
Amen! I’m so over superhero movies. #crankylittleoldlady
I loved Power of the Dog and think it deserves every nomination it got. It’s a movie that builds to its end. Well-made, well-acted, beautiful to watch.
King Richard is good, but not great. I have accepted that Will Smith will likely win the Best Actor Oscar, but it’s not his best performance. It’s just an un-Will Smith performance.
Don’t Look Up was fun but not as deep or satirical as it thought it was.