What a journey we’ve had going through each Oscar category and speculating which path a nominee may take to reach the ultimate stage. The time for predictions, projections, pundits and precursors is nearly over. Finally, the Academy, the group made up of the world’s most talented and creative filmmakers, will determine those achievements they believe to be the best of 2022. This final category is the one that honors the best film of the year, a true mark of immortality.
“Women Talking” is a brilliant film about standing up for yourself and your community while also finding room to forgive and treat each situation with nuance. I feel like I gained something after having watched it, which is not the case for my relationship with most films. It should have gotten more general love from the Academy. Much, much appreciation from me to Sarah Polley for everything she did with this material.
“Triangle of Sadness” was my most anticipated film of the year. To see it embraced by the Oscars is a nice treat for a film I believed would make very small waves on the awards circuit. The most acclaimed of the year’s social commentaries about the extremely wealthy, here’s a film that pulls its audience in many directions. You need to be prepared to roll with the hefty ambitions of Ruben Östlund.
“Elvis” is a film made with the Academy in mind, a musical biopic with transformative performances and a frenetic style. There’s a universe in which this film wins the most Oscars of the night, or at least ties for that distinction. I thought the trailer looked cheesy way back when it was first released, but “Elvis” is better than it appears. It’s about an essential musical figure and the way he was exploited by show business.
“Avatar: The Way of Water” followed in the footsteps of its predecessor and became one of the biggest films of all-time in terms of box office numbers. James Cameron was finally able to bring his concepts for this sequel to life, and there are more on the way. While not a great storyteller, Cameron is one of the most inventive technical minds in the industry. He’ll make the impossible possible if it serves his vision.
“Tár” is Todd Field’s return to directing after a long hiatus. He cast Cate Blanchett in the lead role, and together they created an interesting film about the structures of power and how those at the top can and will abuse their positions. It is one of those films you think about for days after it is over. The main character is complicated and will undoubtedly be the focus of a college lecture someday. That’s ironic.
“All Quiet on the Western Front” will have an opportunity to follow the 1930 best picture winner of the same name. This version is a more loose adaptation than the classic version, but it is at times even more powerful. It certainly helps that modern film techniques make the look and feel of war so much more real and anxiety-inducing. The European voting base seems to be all in on “All Quiet.” Can it pull an upset?
“Top Gun: Maverick” is an unlikely best picture nominee that nobody really doubted by the time the nominations were announced. Beloved by critics and audiences alike, the film pumped life into the theater experience in the post-COVID world. It can’t be given too much credit for saving the industry, but the fact that the conversation even exists is a testament to the film’s impact and unabashed sense of self.
“The Fabelmans” is the most obvious Oscar contender of all-time, but it earned its spot in this lineup by being perfectly structured. This is the rare film that can balance reality and cinematic spectacle. We need to appreciate the masters like Steven Spielberg while they are still working and directing strong pictures. I’ll never not be at least intrigued by every Spielberg film that gets made from here on out.
“The Banshees of Inisherin” is a dark comedy set against the backdrop of a civil war. At the same time, a civil war is brewing between the characters played by Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. Featuring what
may be the best acting ensemble of the year, “Banshees” is basically an essential viewing for all film fanatics. Even if it doesn’t quite click for you, there is bound to be something here for you to appreciate.
“Everything Everywhere All At Once” is one of the wildest best picture nominees ever, and it has the chance to go even further than that. How did a film released in the spring featuring hot dog fingers and a cooking raccoon make it this far? Great films aren’t made with sight gags and goofiness. They’re made with heart and imagination. “EEAAO” has more heart and imagination than a multitude of average films.
From the barn in a repressed colony to a yacht filled with vomit. From the stages of early rock and roll to the waters of Pandora. From the halls of high art to the trenches of the great war. From the skies above enemy territory to the mind of a young filmmaker. From the shores of war-torn Ireland to the center of the multiverse. These are the places we were taken by this year’s nominees for best picture.
For more of Sam Zavada’s Oscar coverage, click here.
