Disclaimer — I didn’t watch the ceremony live and I haven’t seen all the films nominated!
2023-24 was a fantastic year for cinema. I can’t remember the last time there was such a strong field of nominees for Best Picture, but it felt like Oppenheimer had it wrapped up months ago, with its wins at the Golden Globes and the BAFTAs leaving victory here feel like a fait accompli. But was it really that good? Oppenheimer certainly has all the hallmarks of a great film: the compelling true story, powerful performances, and the sharp cinematography we have come to associate with Christopher Nolan. But I felt irked by its sense of self-importance, by the obtuse manner in which some timelines are introduced, and by its reverence for its subject without ever quite getting at what was going on in Oppie’s head. Oppenheimer, you might say, ‘insists upon itself.’ Given that Nolan was placed front and centre of the PR campaign, its possible to see the award being given in recognition of his entire career. Few other directors can sell a film on the strength of their personal brand to such a wide audience — a testament to his ability to deliver cinema which is both thrilling and thought-provoking (with only a few exceptions).
Cillian Murphy was the strong favourite for Best Actor, his nearest competition being Paul Giamatti for his hilarious and touching turn in The Holdovers, alongside dark horses in the shape of Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction) and Bradley Cooper (Maestro). If one were to be cynical, Murphy’s performance of a tortured real-life figure is classic Oscar-bait, but its hard to begrudge the 47 year-old Irishman winning the award to cap an excellent and varied career.
The biggest shock of the night was Emma Stone winning Best Actress for her horny-Frankenstein role in Poor Things, beating Lily Gladstone in Killers Of The Flower Moon. Stone excellently depicted Bella Baxter’s growth from child-brained savant to mature woman, with great comic timing to boot, but it feels like another case of the more eye-catching performance winning out. Gladstone was less obviously acting, but I thought her subtle portrayal of the Osage woman Molly Burkhart was heartbreaking. Once again, a Scorsese film is left empty handed after a raft of nominations.
There was strong competition for Best Supporting Actor, from Robert De Niro’s monstrous turn in Killer of the Flower Moon, to Ryan Gosling’s unforgettable role as ‘just’ Ken. All of the nominees had a strong case, but I felt Robert Downey Jr. fully deserved to win for his performance as Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer, reminding us that when the Iron Man suit comes off, he has some serious chops. But his victory also shows that winning an Oscar for a comedic performance often feels like a long-shot (last year Ke Huy Quan managed to buck the trend with Everything Everywhere…), and that serious performances are treated more, well, seriously.
Da’Vine Joy Randolph deservedly won the Best Supporting Actress for her role as grieving mother and cook Mary Lamb in The Holdovers. It was a funny and sentimental film which avoided tipping into schmalz, a balance encapsulated in Randolph’s performance. One of her best scenes comes with the Christmas party, where Mary visibly wrestles with her grief, eventually letting it out after one too many drinks, but still retaining enough composure to reprimand Giamatti’s character for being an arsehole.
I feel torn over The Boy And The Heron beating Across The Spider-Verse for Best Animated Feature. I thought Miyazaki’s latest offering left the stronger emotional impression, and among all his films it’s one which will benefit the most from repeated viewings. But Spider-Verse completely blew me away with the phantasmagorical worlds it conjures (I haven’t seen the prequel and went in blind). On a purely visual level, I think it edges out The Boy And the Heron — the animation is simply memerising, with it’s inventive use of colour and perspective (at many points I was reminded of cult classic The Thief And The Cobbler). Both are among my favourite films of the past year, which leaves me wondering if we will ever see the day when animated films are judged on the same level as their live-action counterparts? Being nominated for Best Animated Feature still feels a bit like a seat at the kids table, whilst the grown-ups talk about serious things like nuclear war. TBATH and Spider-Verse deal with complex and mature themes such as grief, and finding one’s place in the world, and deserve to be seen as great films, not just great pieces of animation.
It was a shame TBTATH wasn’t even nominated for Best Original Score. Ludwig Göransson’s work on Oppenheimer was excellent, but Joe Hisaishi’s minimalist compositions were the perfect complement to Studio Ghibli’s animation, managing to tug on the heartstrings in quieter moments and heighten the drama in moments of peril — the surging string section in ‘The Curse of the Grey Heron’ being a highlight.
I was overjoyed to see Godzilla Minus One win the award for Best Special Effects (and equally overjoyed to see Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito gleefully announce it). It was a real David vs. Goliath moment, as Godzilla, with a budget of just $15 million triumphed over heavyweights like Guardians Of The Galaxy 3 ($250m) and Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning ($290m). Godzilla Minus One is a testament to what a dedicated and passionate team can do, with their conjuring of a horrific and genuinely frightening monster.
Finally, Cord Jefferson won Best Adapted Screenplay for American Fiction, based on Percival Everett’s Erasure. I haven’t heard so much laughter in the cinema for a long time, and I’m intrigued to dive into Everett’s back catalogue.
Mark It Zero 