96th Oscars Predictions Seven: Picture and More
Best Picture winners typically win other awards, and crucially at least one of Writing, Editing, Directing. I have previously identified where I think the Writing and Directing Oscars will fall, so what about Editing, historically the silver bullet when it comes to Best Picture. The nominees for Film Editing are all up for Best Picture, which helps to narrow down the likely winner of Best Picture.
For most of these, the editing is unobtrusive and fills the typical requirement of editing, to be invisible. Thelma Schoonmaker is an emperor in the field of editing, and it is testament to her skills that the three and half hour run time of Killers of the Flower Moon flies by. Similarly, the editing of Anatomy of a Fall, The Holdovers and Poor Things allow these films to flow smoothly. The exception, surprise surprise, is Oppenheimer, where Jennifer Lame’s editing works as an intrinsic expressive tool that disrupts while simultaneously continuing the narrative. For some, this might be a bit too ‘look at me’, but amongst editors, I can see this being admired. Therefore, my prediction for Editing is Oppenheimer.
While we are at it, I believe that Oppenheimer will pick up Score and Cinematography as well. This is partly because Ludwig Göransson and Hoyte Van Hoytema already picked up BAFTAs. But also, when I think of memorable music and images from last year, Göransson’s haunting tones come to mind as well as the blistering visuals from Van Hoytema, incorporating colour and monochrome, the richness of the desert as well as the muted tones of the laboratory and homes. This is not to disparage the work of the other composers or cinematographers, but I do not recall the scores of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, American Fiction, Killers of the Flower Moon or Poor Things as vividly as that of Oppenheimer. Meanwhile, the visuals of Killers of the Flower Moon and Maestro made less of an impression. Poor Things does have memorable cinematography by virtue of being so odd, but I think the array of visuals in Oppenheimer will win over that section of the Academy.
And so we come to Best Picture. When picking a Best Picture winner, it can help to look at what else the nominees are likely to win:
American Fiction – Adapted Screenplay
Anatomy of a Fall
Barbie – Original Song
The Holdovers – Original Screenplay
Killers of the Flower Moon – Lead Actress
Maestro
Oppenheimer – Directing, Lead Actor, Supporting Actor, Editing, Cinematography, Score
Past Lives
Poor Things – Production Design, Makeup and Hairstyling, Costume Design
The Zone of Interest – International Feature
Looking at these, I can see three of the nominees leaving with nothing. For my money, Anatomy of a Fall and Past Lives were among the best films of last year. I also enjoyed Maestro. I see Barbie, Killers of the Flower Moon, American Fiction and The Holdovers all picking up one, and Poor Things attracting three. But when it comes to Best Picture and a total of seven Oscars, I predict that Oppenheimer will be (sorry) Da Bomb.
It is perhaps unfortunate that everyone doesn’t win something, but that’s democracy for you – someone always loses. At least in this case, anyone who has seen any (let alone all) of the nominated films has won something. Either they won a movie that they enjoyed, or they had an experience that they can moan about. In all likelihood, the Oscars will provide much the same.
96th Oscars Predictions Six: Directing
As is always the case (so far), the nominees for Directing are mostly men, with Justine Triest’s nomination for Anatomy of a Fall making her the seventh woman to be nominated in this category. Alongside Jonathan Glazer for The Zone of Interest, the low-key style of these films is certainly impressive but perhaps not enough to impress the voters sufficiently. Yorgos Lanthimos is the most outlandish of the directors nominated, and his delivery of Poor Things shows a truly singular vision that does not care what others think. Maybe this will put voters off, such as if it comes across as too showy and being odd for the sake of being odd, but it would be lovely to see such oddness being rewarded. Still, a nomination is still a form of recognition. Martin Scorsese is the only previous winner out of the nominees and has been nominated multiple times. He could possibly win again for Killers of the Flower Moon, but after the BAFTA and Directors Guild of America wins, it seems a pretty safe bet that a certain Mr Nolan has this in the bag.
Nolan is demonstrably a titan of modern Hollywood, having produced a series of blockbusters that bring in the money while also receiving critical acclaim. It might surprise readers to know that Oppenheimer is only his second nomination for Directing, his first being Dunkirk, though he was also nominated for writing and as producer for Inception’s Best Picture nomination as well as co-writer on Memento. Directorially, Oppenheimer could be described as all over the place yet precisely disciplined, a controlled explosion where the continuous cutting between ‘Fission’ and ‘Fusion’ demonstrates a fluid and active development of the cinematic form. While the subject matter of Oppenheimer may seem standard and even conservative – lots of white men arguing – the adventurousness of Nolan’s direction is very likely to earn him an Oscar.
96th Oscars Predictions Five: MEN! Acting
It is perhaps worth noting that Christopher Nolan’s films have garnered various nominations in the past, but only one acting nomination which indeed led to a posthumous win for Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight. This year, we have three performers from a Nolan film up for awards. As mentioned, Emily Blunt is an unlikely winner, but in both Lead Actor and Supporting Actor, wins for Oppenheimer look pretty certain. As mentioned previously, there are four Rs up for Supporting Actor – Mark Ruffalo, Ryan Gosling, Robert De Niro, Robert Downey, Jr, as well as Sterling K. Brown. All of these performances impressed me, from Brown’s rounded and believable dandy figure in American Fiction to De Niro’s ostensibly kindly old man in whom lurks an irrepressible monster in Killers of the Flower Moon. Ruffalo and Gosling are both a hoot in, respectively, Poor Things and Barbie, gleefully embracing roles that, for Ruffalo, is something of a departure whereas Ken seems like the role Gosling was almost designed for. However, their effort, methinks, will be eclipsed by that there RDJ. Downey is a Hollywood staple, having been previously nominated for Chaplin and Tropic Thunder, and his role in Oppenheimer has clearly demonstrated to the Academy that there is life after Iron Man. Following his BAFTA and SAG wins, I am confident that we will soon be referring to Academy Award Winner Robert Downey, Jr.
Alongside Downey we have the often unassuming yet always engaging and now positively radioactive Cillian Murphy. From 28 Days Later… to Breakfast on Pluto to his ongoing collaboration with Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight Trilogy, Inception, Dunkirk), Murphy is never less than compelling, and with Oppenheimer he portrays guilt, genius, drive, commitment and uncertainty, no mean feat considering he is on camera for almost the entire film. Like Murphy, American Fiction’s Jeffrey Wright is a long-standing supporting actor now in a leading role that has earned him a nomination, and were I an AMPAS member I would likely vote for him. Colman Domingo in Rustin delivers a vibrant and energising performance, while Bradley Cooper in Maestro balances the whimsy with the passion. Paul Giamatti in The Holdovers makes a curmudgeon loveable without ever slipping into cliche or excessive sentimentality. He is likely the strongest rival to Murphy, making it a two-horse race between the two of them. Come Oscar night though, I suspect Mr Murphy will add to his awards collection with a golden man holding a sword.
96th Oscars Predictions Four: Colourful Performances and Performers
Of the four films I have seen in the category of Best Supporting Actress, the performances were all memorable and deserving. I cannot speak for Danielle Brooks in The Color Purple, but Emily Blunt’s nomination for Oppenheimer is a little surprising, not least because it is her first one, which might prompt one to react, really? I do not expect her to win, but anticipate that we will see her back. In Barbie, America Ferrera got to deliver THAT speech, as well as portraying a believable, real person amidst the nuttiness of Barbie, and it is great to see Jodie Foster back in the Oscars discussion for Nyad. But after her wins at BAFTA and the Screen Actors Guild, I think Da’Vine Joy Randolph has this in the bag for her performance in The Holdovers, that combined warmth, grief, wisdom and a no-nonsense attitude. It would be nice in future years to see more lead roles for women of colour so that performers like Randolph and previous winners including Octavia Spencer, Viola Davis and Jennifer Hudson are cast as Lead performers rather than Supporting.
Speaking of performers of colour, I mentioned previously the historic significance of Lily Gladstone’s Best Actress nomination for Killers of the Flower Moon. She delivers an outstanding performance, literally standing out amongst heavy hitters in the form of Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Jesse Plemons and more. But she does so quietly, conveying the hurt of practically an entire people through understatement and acceptance despite pain. Her nomination is historic and a win would be both important and richly deserved. This is probably the hardest one to call, because Emma Stone’s much showier performance in Poor Things also has a lot of momentum. Strong as they are, I think Sandra Hüller in Anatomy of a Fall, Carey Mulligan in Maestro and Annette Bening in Nyad are behind in this race. It is especially unfortunate for Bening, now on her fifth nomination, but always against stiff competition. The BAFTAs favoured Stone, the SAG awards went for Gladstone. Largely on the basis of overlap between SAG and AMPAS, and because the Academy voters might just want to set a precedent, I predict Gladstone.
96th Oscars Predictions Three: Hold that Fictional Writing Over
The screenplays nominated both for Original and Adapted Screenplay represent remarkable range. In the Original Screenplay category, The Holdovers is warm but acerbic, May December touching and creepy, Past Lives wonderfully soulful, Anatomy of a Fall fiendishly clever and genuinely ambiguous, and Maestro is, Maestro. All offer much to enjoy, and if I were a member of AMPAS I would vote for the delicate and deeply felt Past Lives. I think it will come down to between The Holdovers and Anatomy of a Fall. For the warm but never overbearing hug that it offers, I predict The Holdovers.
The nominees are also very strong for Adapted Screenplay. Barbie has a good chance, not least for preparing the context in which last year’s most memorable speech did ring so very true. However, I fear that being nominated for Adapted over Original Screenplay may prove to be Barbie’s undoing due to the very stiff competition that includes Poor Things and The Zone of Interest. I might be inclined to see Oppenheimer as the lead contender, and would certainly like Barbie to win, and but after its BAFTA win, I see this award going to American Fiction.
96th Academy Awards Predictions Two: Internationally Animated Sounding Out a Song
Animated Feature is a tough call. I’ve seen four out the five nominees, having not yet accessed Robot Dreams, and what I would like to win is Nimona, a glorious piece of work. I would be rather disappointed by a win for Elemental as I found it to be consistently frustrating. Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse is a strong contender, because it takes what the previous Spider-Verse film did and takes it further, thus illustrating a genuine development of the animated medium. Then again, the return of Hayao Miyazaki with what could be his final film might well earn him the award for The Boy and The Heron. If he had not won the Oscar for Animated Feature for Spirited Away back in 2002, Miyazaki would be a definite this year. I think this is a two-horse race for The Spider-Boy Across the Heron-Verse, which oddly makes it a contest between tradition and innovation. With more Spider-Verse to come, I think sentiment will win out and The Boy and The Heron will win.
For International Feature, I have only seen one, with Io Capitano, Perfect Days, Society of the Snow and The Teachers’ Lounge still to be seen. However, The Zone of Interest is also nominated for Best Picture (hence I saw it), and in previous years the dual nomination has been a strong indicator of winning this award. Therefore, my prediction is The Zone of Interest, a British production mostly in German with a little Polish. Quite international, it seems. And for its remarkable and deeply disturbing auditory assembly, I think The Zone of Interest will also pick up Sound over The Creator, Maestro, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One and Oppenheimer.
When it comes to Original Song, the tricky thing is which songs do we remember beyond the film? I have not seen Flamin’ Hot which features ‘The Fire Inside’ nor American Symphony with ‘It Never Went Away’, so no comment on those. ‘Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)’ is as powerful and haunting as Killers of the Flower Moon in its entirety, and “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie asks the perfect question. But when I (and I don’t think I’m alone in this) think of musical numbers from last year, the one that stands tallest is easily ‘I’m Just Ken’ from Barbie. I predict that song will win, and if Ryan Gosling performs, that will be Kenough.
96th Academy Awards: Predictions One
When it comes to predicting the Oscars, the best indicators are other award givers. From the various critics awards to the Golden Globes, and especially the British Academy of Film and Television Arts as well as the guilds of actors, producers and directors, there is considerable overlap in terms of the voters for these awards. So looking at what has won thus far, as well as my own perspectives, I offer Vincent’s Views on who may be stroking Golden Baldies come March 10th.
Short Films, Feature Documentary, Visual Effects
I have not seen the short films nor the feature documentaries, so can offer no informed opinion. Based on its success at the BAFTAs as well as the DGA Awards, it could be 20 Days in Mariupol for Feature Documentary. But at the PGA Awards, Documentary Theatrical Motion Picture went to American Symphony. We shall see.
Typically, Visual Effects goes to a blockbuster that dazzles viewers with new wonders. Some of the nominees this year continue that tradition, with blockbuster franchise entries Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 and Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning – Part One bringing further wacky aliens and deranged stunts. Nestling, or should that be stomping?, alongside them is a new incarnation of an established grand spectacle in Godzilla Minus One, given a more raw and at times grotesque presentation than has been the case for a while, and, according to all reports, done pretty cheaply. For a more original output, we have The Creator, which does an intriguing job of adding effects to location shots made previously. And Napoleon reminds viewers that visual effects can recreate the past as well. I have seen all of these and any could be a worthy winner, but I like to think the voters could reward the little film that did, and I pick Godzilla Minus One for this award.
Makeup and Hairstyle that Costume Design in Production!
These three categories can be a tough call, sometimes coming together and other times disparate. Costume Design includes four period films with Killers of the Flower Moon, Napoleon, Oppenheimer and Poor Things all vying alongside Barbie, in which fashion is literally part of character. The same five films are also competing for Production Design, which means we have the entire towns in Oppenheimer and Killers of the Flower Moon, all manner of locations in Napoleon and some overtly and expressively designed spaces in Barbie and Poor Things. Makeup and Hairstyling sees the nose (and more) of Maestro up against the garish beauty of Poor Things and the subtle downward spirals of Oppenheimer, as well as the unseen by me Golda and Society of the Snow. There is so much to admire and enjoy in all of these (even Napoleon), but for the sheer weirdness that manifests through performance and cinematography but especially through the trinity of Production Design, Costume Design and Makeup and Hairstyling, I see Poor Things leaving not the Oscars not so poor.
96th Academy Awards
Muted Controversies
The 96th Academy Awards take place on 10th March, viewable in the UK in the wee wee hours of 11th March. Like the lunatic I am, I will be staying up to watch the world’s most glamorous collection showcase of backslapping and platitudinousness, because it’s great fun.
This year’s Oscars are an unusual bunch because the discourse has been relatively muted. Derision for the ‘wrong films’ being nominated and the ‘clearly best’ performances, screenplays and more has been less noticeable than in past years, which might suggest that popular opinion over the various nominees is largely positive. When the nominees were first announced, there was some flap over the omission of Greta Gerwig from the Directing category as well as Margot Robbie from Best Actress in a Leading Role, each of them for Barbie. Most prominent among the objectors was Ryan Gosling, one of four Rs nominated in the category for Supporting Actor, traditionally the first award presented. If Mr Gosling happens to win, he will doubtless thank Gerwig and Robbie, but he will have reason to do so beyond their roles as director and lead actress, as both are nominated as producers of Barbie and Gerwig for Adapted Screenplay (yes, Barbie is up for Adapted Screenplay, the rules of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are weird). Let this serve as a reminder that the Best Picture Oscar is presented to producers, historically and in some respects still the central figures who coordinate motion pictures.
Speaking of Best Actress, with Robbie not among the nominees, attention is due to the precedent set by Lily Gladstone, the first Native American performer nominated for this Oscar, for her performance in Killers of the Flower Moon. Such is the historic importance of this nomination that an online petition arose urging that the Academy members should award the Oscar to Gladstone for this very reason. Some will doubtless question the apparent disregard of ‘artistic integrity’ in favour of racial diversity, or the potentially hollow tokenism of such an act. My feeling is that this online activism highlights the intrinsically political heart of the Oscars. Does the Academy reward the objectively best films? No, because there is no such thing as an objectively good film – any one who tells you otherwise is saying that they know best. But what the Oscars do demonstrate is what the film industry deems worthy of attention at that time – remember these are annual awards and only relate to films of the previous twelve months, so winners and indeed nominees are illustrative of particular tastes and perspectives. If tastes and perspectives lead to votes for Gladstone, and she walks away with an Oscar, will she wonder for years whether she really won because of her race? Or will she look at her award and think ‘I won a fucking Oscar!’? Who can say?
Review of the Year – Further Mentions
While the top twelve of the year are, the top twelve, there was plenty of other enjoyable other stuff to see in 2023, that made a top films list tricky. Here’s some others that I recommend, across various genres, and a few that I recommend you avoid.
Familiar Friends
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
A wacky, rambunctious, rollicking, overstuffed and indulgent but still joyous, thrilling and emotional sci-fi comedy adventure of the evils of chasing perfection, facing your past and the healing power of friendship. I am Groot.
A Haunting in Venice
A deliciously ripe, atmospheric, twisty and gloriously stylish murder mystery of motives, traumas, regrets, deductions and intriguing reworkings of masculine identities.
Wonka
An Oompa-Loompa luverly treat
Of charm and whimsy that’s tasty to eat
Filled with love, o’erflowing with wit
Precision and humour in ev’ry bit
Sincerity and unabashed heart
This is a confection both joyful and smart.
Harrowing Horrors
Talk To Me
An assured and supremely confident, gripping, gruesome and gut-wrenchingly visceral and creepy horror of possession, grief and the need for family.
Evil Dead Rise
A ferocious, frothing, furious frenzy of gore, possession and family coming together and (violently) apart.
No One Will Save You
A mesmerising, terrifying masterclass in visual storytelling, isolation and invasion at all levels, that recalls many other films yet creates a distinct identity of its own.
Pearl
A knowing, sly, gory and witty revenge tale of the dangers of repression and expectations.
A tragic and devastating teenage tale of grief, stress, privilege, escalation and online toxicity.
Chin-Strokers
Women Talking
A muted yet dynamic, hard-hitting and at times harrowing, pointed and pertinent drama of institutional dangers, solidarity and the need to challenge authority.
Cairo Conspiracy
An intriguing, gripping and at times chilling tale of coming of age, state machinery and the intertwining of politics and faith.
Till
A meticulous and unflinching, sometimes harrowing and deeply upsetting, powerful and moving tale of oppression, injustice, grief and courage.
The Whale
An intimate, subtle yet devastating portrait of disability, addiction, regret and the desperate need to matter.
One Fine Morning
A touching, beautiful, frank, non-judgemental portrait of love, loss, language and the extraordinariness of the ordinary.
Unexpected Delights
The Little Mermaid
An enchanting, immersive, vibrant, charming, funny, emotional and genuinely surprising fantasy musical romance of the need to be heard, coming of age and the finding and forging of unity.
An insightful and righteously angry anthology of satire, body horror, sci-fi, comedy, genre and political awareness that delivers powerful and timely messages.
Clock
A remarkably assured and tightly focused satirical horror of social commentary, bodily and societal fears that incorporates a plethora of concepts yet maintains its balance through exquisite production design, shifting colour schemes and intense physical alterations.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves
A witty, wild and wacky fantasy heist comedy of plans and failures, magic and derring do, redemption and family.
Youthful Discoveries
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret
A charming but never twee, touching without being saccharine, coming of age period drama (in more ways than one) that gorgeously captures adolescence, confusion and the tensions between fitting in and being yourself.
Polite Society
A joyously sweet and riotously fun blend of teenage fears, family ties and martial arts mayhem.
How To Have Sex
An equal parts heartwarming, hedonistic and harrowing coming of age portrait of teen friendship and sexual politics that deftly balances pleasure, empathy and trauma.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
A zany, wacky and surprisingly sweet animated comedy of bizarre creations, prejudice and xenophobia, being an outsider and the desire for socialisation, that thoroughly leans into the silliness of its concept.
Turkeys
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
An inventive if messy superhero adventure of rebellion, family and the use/abuse of power, with standout moments but a serious lighting problem.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
A somewhat redundant dystopian prequel that benefits from some visceral set pieces and innovative music but unnecessarily protracts its narrative and annoyingly reduces its characters.
An annoying and overwritten hodgepodge of sci-fi and horror tropes that uses gore and weirdness in an inadequate attempt to compensate for flat direction, unmotivated developments and a crippling lack of tension.
Napoleon
A handsomely mounted but frustratingly unfocused bio-epic of power, love and devotion that fails to strike a narrative or tonal balance between interpersonal relations, courtly political intrigue and military conflict.
Turkey of the Year: Saw X
An interminably protracted and bizarrely neutered revenge horror of obvious reveals and tedious monologuing, lacking in suspense, stakes or genuine drama that might be better named Yaw N.
What delights will 2024 bring? If you’re like me, you are already in anticipation!
Review of 2023 – Top 12
Cast your eye back over 2023 in cinema and there is much to comment on. The Oscar success of Everything Everywhere All At Once; the strikes of both the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA; the cinematic double-whammy of ‘Barbenheimer’; the write-offs by Warner Bros. Discovery and the somewhat fumbled attempts by Disney to celebrate its centenary. And what about the actual films?
If you’re like me, you enjoy a varied cinematic palette, and 2023 certainly offered this. From Hollywood franchise instalments – Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, Scream VI, Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One – to international heavy hitters – Broker, It Lives Inside, Godzilla Minus One – to prestige pictures – Till, Women Talking, Killers of the Flower Moon, there was plenty to sample from across the movie menu. Homegrown British movies made a strong showing with such offerings as Enys Men, Scrapper, Polite Society and How To Have Sex. New takes on familiar fare such as Indiana Jones, The Hunger Games and Wonka as well as works by big name filmmakers including David Fincher’s The Killer, Ben Affleck’s Air and Ridley Scott’s Napoleon shared space with original pieces including The Creator, Saltburn and Anatomy of a Fall. Furthermore, several filmmakers showed an interest in immigrant experiences, delivering such varied fare as Past Lives, Elemental and Joy Ride.
Overall, the 89 new releases I saw in 2023 add up to a pretty satisfying year at the movies. But from this 87, can I filter out a top twelve to give you, dear reader, the traditional musical summary? What’s that you say? Of course I can! My list is based upon UK release dates, and is entirely subjective, because there’s no such thing as an objectively good / bad film. Thus, without further ado, my Top Twelve of 2023!
On the twelfth day of Christmas the movies gave to me
Twelve baby Brokers
Eleven Nimona shifts
Ten Tàr compositions
Nine Holy Spiders
Eight Godzilla rampages
Seven Rides of Joy
Six Past Lives
Five Saltburns
Four Anatomised Falls
Three Flower Moon Kills
Two hi’s from Barbie
And the theories of Oppenheimer.
In case that was not clear, my top films of 2023 are:
1. Oppenheimer
A jagged, impressionistic chain reaction of theme, narrative and character that collides and accelerates in a harrowing and discordant detonation of science, legacy, hubris, invention and regret.
2. Barbie
An ingenious, satirical, extremely self-aware postmodern extravaganza of pastel colours, existential crises and the contradictions of identity that offers insightful commentary without ever getting too smart for its own good.
3. Killers of the Flower Moon
A measured, sombre, beautiful, textured and nuanced tale of infiltration, exploitation, quiet genocide and the struggle for wealth, that neither preaches on nor flinches from the shame and ruthlessness of American capitalism.
4. Anatomy of a Fall
An ingenious, magnificent, utterly compelling and fabulously ambiguous domestic and courtroom drama of mystery, histories and the blind spots between truths.
5. Saltburn
A sinuous, sensual and exquisite dark comedy of manners spliced with a tragic family drama and a malevolent class thriller with scabrous satire, twisted relationships and desire both tender and savage.
6. Past Lives
A delicate, beautiful, touching and rather wonderful portrait of choices, regrets, destiny, acceptance and the immigrant experience.
7. Joy Ride
A gloriously funny, supremely warm and wonderfully progressive road trip comedy of friendship, identify and finding your place.
8. Godzilla Minus One
A magnificent monster maelstrom of melancholia, heart wrenches and gut punches, spectacle, devastation, guilt and hope, that explores trauma, redemption and unity at both the individual and national scales.
9. Holy Spider
A compelling and utterly chilling social horror of dogged investigation, toxic masculinity and misogyny weaponised, politicised and institutionalised.
10. Tár
A fascinating, measured, confident and highly sophisticated psychological probe into artistry and creativity, genius and ego, obsession and paranoia, abuse and manipulation, celebrity and cancel culture.
11. Nimona
A dazzling, glorious, emotional and magnificent blend of genres, themes, awareness and deconstruction.
12. Broker
A quirky and amusing yet touching and melancholy road movie crime drama of resigned desperation, unorthodox family and social neglect, that balances tragic inevitability with cautious hope and humanism.
What a year!
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