Oscar's Best Picture 2024
 

The ten nominees are...



American Fiction
Anatomy of a Fall
Barbie
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Past Lives
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest

Re: Oscar's Best Picture 2024
 

I don't see any way Oppenheimer loses this. I'm happy for Oppenheimer, The Holdovers, and Maestro. Personally, I don't think Anatomy of a Fall, Barbie, or Killers of the Flower Moon deserve a best picture nomination, but I was expecting them to get nominated. I haven't yet seen Past Lives, Zone of Interest, American Fiction, or Poor Things.

Re: Oscar's Best Picture 2024
 

I had somehow missed the trailer for American Fiction. That looks good, also...

I have a lot of catching up to do!

Re: Oscar's Best Picture 2024
 

I've seen 5 of the 10 before the nominations were announced. Gives me a decent shot to see all 10 before the ceremony.

Oppenheimer should win, but I'm super stoked Past Lives got a nomination.

Still haven’t seen Poor Things, Zone Of Interest, or American Fiction.

For me Oppenheimer is the cream of the crop, with Killers and Anatomy not far behind. Also super happy, surprised, and excited to see Holdovers get so much nom love. I love Payne (mostly), and loved this flick.

Re: Oscar's Best Picture 2024
 

Oppenheimer is favored to win, but I'm going with The Holdovers, because that movie is the best and most endearing film of 2023.

Re: Oscar's Best Picture 2024
 

Still have a few to catch up on.


Going to the cinema tomorrow for The Holdovers & Poor Things, still to catch up with Maestro on streaming, neither American Fiction nor The Zone of Interest has been released here in the UK yet, while Anatomy of a Fall was at the cinema here, but there was no AD/translation available so hopefully will be able to find this online.

Re: Oscar's Best Picture 2024
 

Have only seen four of the nominees so I can't really weigh in yet.

Just watched Past Lives so I have now seen five of the nominees.

Re: Oscar's Best Picture 2024
 

Oppenheimer winning would be in line with the Academy's yearly proof that they no longer love cinema. (Not that they ever did.)

(I haven't seen Oppenheimer.)

Re: Oscar's Best Picture 2024
 

Oppenheimer

Re: Oscar's Best Picture 2024
 

Barbie? BARBIE is one of the nominees? Are you kidding me?

Anyway, undecided. Could be something understated like Past Lives, but also a more cerebral affair like Oppenheimer.

Thought this belonged here. :D

If it wins best picture, what's being awarded is the subject matter and not the creative process that created the movie. It's not a great piece of film making, more like a piece of film making:p

I don't know anything about American Fiction, but as for the rest, it is the rare list of nominations where none of them nauseate me. No I havent seen many of them, but none of them look like the fake ass pap they normally like to cover in award splooge.

Re: Oscar's Best Picture 2024
 

Maestro is my least favorite though so far. But I still have it a (generous) 6/10

I need to watch that.

Thank you! This had to be said.

Barbie is in the 'on the list because it made lots of money and the masses have heard of it therefore it will generate headlines and interest but hasn't a snowball's chance in hell of winning' slot. It's this year's Top Gun Maverick or Black Panther.

American Fiction is probably my favorite of the nominations. Really great film.

That's good to hear.


I think this might be the first time (at least since they started nominating ten movies) where I actually sort of want to see all of them.



So far, have just seen Maestro and Poor Things. Both very good. Probably preferred Maestro, but only just slightly.

:facepalm: :laugh:

Just watched Killers of the Flower Moon so I have now seen six of the Best Picture nominees.

Re: Oscar's Best Picture 2024
 

I'm really looking forward to American Fiction, the trailer looked great, and Jeffrey Wright's a wonderful actor. Insofar as you can tell these things from a few minutes, it seemed very smart, but very funny, and like it might have a lot of nuanced, insightful things to say. Here's hoping.

Takoma was a big fan of it as well. We saw it together and spent like, an hour discussing it afterwards.

Re: Oscar's Best Picture 2024
 

Watched The Holdovers last night, which was wonderful. My wife and I both loved it, and it was fun to see some of the locations from our area.

I'm a big Giamatti fan, and I loved The Holdovers too. It could have easily fallen into schmaltzy or trite territory, but somehow it didn't. It walked that fine line beautifully.

So fun that you also got to see locations nearby!

He knocked it out of the park in this role. Dark horse for the win for best actor?

:shrug:

I'm voting for him, so that's one. :D
Oh wait, my vote doesn't count.

Oh, Jeffrey Wright is in it. That's a good thing right off the bat


I loved him back in the day when he did just about the most perfect Basquiat imaginable, and have been happy to see his career take off the last decade or so.

As much as I liked Giamatti's performance in The Holdovers (he's always first rate), I felt the movie itself to be predictable, familiar, and it dragged a little.

Yeah, he’s pretty great in it. In a perfect world, Wright wins BA for this role.

For me Holdovers is the best for it's subties and nuances. Lets be real here...we're talking about a teacher movie and a Christmas movie. Likely the two of the toughest sub genres to elevate to high art. I would love to see Giamatti get his Oscar (and then achieve his dream of being a BOND villian) .


For me


1. The Holdovers
2. Oppenheimer
3. Killers of the Flower Moon
4. Anatomy of a Fall
5. Past Lives
6. Barbie

Just watched Anatomy of a Fall so I have now seen seven out of ten of the nominees.

Have now caught up with Poor Things and The Holdovers, American Fiction and The Zone of Interest are being wide released here in the UK this weekend, so will probably catch them on Monday or Tuesday.

Poor Things is clearly very divisive, and really I cannot see the Academy having anywhere near the amount of bravery they'd need to reward this in the way they did The Shape of Water, which was such a safe treatment of the Creature of the Black Lagoon tale, compared with this Frankenstein-esque Victorian tale.

The Holdovers is a solid movie and while it has some really good performances, I can't see it coming close in this catagory. Best Orig Screenplay might be it's best chance.

Re: Oscar's Best Picture 2024
 

As of today, Past Lives is streaming on Prime (in Canada) or Paramount+ (in US). I watched it on Prime and thought it was good, but not great. I would rate it . I've now seen 8 of the 10 best picture nominees. My ranking:

1. Oppenheimer
2. The Holdovers
3. The Zone of Interest
4. Maestro
5. Killers of the Flower Moon
6. Past Lives
7. Anatomy of a Fall
8. Barbie

Re: Oscar's Best Picture 2024
 

American Fiction is now available to buy digitally. I bought it today and just finished watching it. American Fiction is a really well written, funny, smart, surprising film with a career best performance by Jeffrey Wright. I would rank it 2nd out of the best picture nominees. I've now seen 9 of the 10 nominees.

Just Watched American Fiction so I have now seen eight of the nominees.

Yes that was an excellent film. I haven't seen a film by Schnabel in a long time. I would love to see something new from him.
I just googled Schnabel and he has a new film coming soonish, In the Hand of Dante.

I think the only two others I've seen of his are Diving Bell and the Butterfly and Before Night Falls, both great. Particularly Diving Bell.


He's a better filmmaker than a painter.

I've now seen all but one (American Fiction doesn't seem to have been released anywhere near me). I'd probably rank them as follows (although some are quite close):


The Zone of Interest
The Holdovers
Poor Things
Past Lives
Anatomy of a Fall
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Barbie


It looks like Oppenheimer is the front runner but I think it would be a disappointing choice. Elements of it are good but I don't feel like it was well told overall. Perhaps the Holdovers will sneak the top spot.


Interesting that 6 out of the 10 are period pieces (7 if you count Poor Things off-kilter Victoriana) which is on the high side.

Re: Oscar's Best Picture 2024
 

This is Nolan's year. A foregone conclusion if there ever was one. I do love Holdovers, it was probably my second favourite till now. I am yet to see Zone of Interest and Poor Things.

Just watched Zone of Interest soI have now seen nine out of the ten nominees.

Poor Things is now available for purchase on demand, so I bought it and watched it today. My ranking of all 10 films:

1. Oppenheimer
2. Poor Things
3. American Fiction
4. The Holdovers
5. The Zone of Interest
6. Maestro
7. Killers of the Flower Moon
8. Past Lives
9. Anatomy of a Fall
10. Barbie

Just watched Poor Things so I have now seen all the Best Picture nominees. Still think Oppenheimer is going to win this. As good as Poor Things is, it's just not Oscar-friendly subject matter

Re: Oscar's Best Picture 2024
 

I went the normie route today and watched American Fiction. Very good and FUNNY. And I don't find too many non-HK films funny.

Re: Oscar's Best Picture 2024
 

Non-honeykid films?

Definitely not Young Guns 2.

Re: Oscar's Best Picture 2024
 

I'd be voting for Barbie because I only seen two of the ten. The other one I seen I hated...Oppenheimer. Which of course will win, but it will be Oppenheimer the man winning the Best Picture and not the movie.

Re: Oscar's Best Picture 2024
 

I've seen them all now. The Zone of Interest gets my vote. Brilliant film. I vote for the one I want to win in the Holden polls. I'll make predictions in the site ballot. Oppenheimer will win.

Re: Oscar's Best Picture 2024
 

For the first time ever, I have watched all 10 Best Picture nominees.

Here's how I rank them:

1. The Holdovers
2. Poor Things
3. Past Lives
4. Oppenheimer
5. Maestro
6. Anatomy of a Fall
7. American Fiction
8. Killers of the Flower Moon
9. Barbie
10. The Zone of Interest

The Holdovers is by far one of the best films of the last 10 years.
Poor Things was an insane film. It was a funny, wild, weird, pornographic shock of the senses. I'm not sure if Emma Stone should win the Oscar or an AVN award for this. And I will never see Mark Ruffalo in the same light again.
Past Lives was very warm and sweet. I'm not sure why it wasn't nominated for Best International Film. It would definitely win my vote in that category over The Zone of Interest.
Anatomy of a Fall felt like a made-for-TV movie. Captivating, but it left me asking questions at the end.
The Zone of Interest was boring.

I still expect Oppenheimer to win Best Picture.

Oppenheimer's seventh win of the night was Best Picture.

Re: Oscar's Best Picture 2024
 

Barbie was robbed. ROBBED.

Wow, that's some hyperbole.

I wouldn't even put it in a top 30 films of the last 12 months.

Well....that's your opinion. Judging by your Top 10 favorite movies, I can see why you would use a word like "hyperbole". :rolleyes:

I loved it. And that's all I will say about that.

What do you mean by that?

Your list includes movies that I've never heard of, and that very few people have seen or heard of too.
You seem like the "sophisticated" type. And only "sophisticated" people use words like "hyperbole".

I'm taking friendly jabs at you, that's all.

I don't really understand - only films that are the most popular that lots of people have seen should be in people's lists of best films?

[I'm not sophisticated in the slightest, I eat crisps for breakfast]

Re: Oscar's Best Picture 2024
 

For the record, I have heard of all 10 films on ScarletLion's list, and I am the epitome of the average film fan - just ask Minio! ;)

I have only seen 6 of them, but I have heard of the other 4. *Shrugs*

Anyway, I think this was an above average year for BP noms. Not that the average has been great, especially over the past few years, but at least half of the noms were strong this year. To be fair, I still have a few to see...

Re: Oscar's Best Picture 2024
 

2001 is great. Citizen Kane is a tad bit overrated. I've never seen any of the other films in that list.

I guess I'm not that sophisticated :bashful:

They're really not that obscure in the slightest. Some of the most well known films of all time in my opinion.

Re: Oscar's Best Picture 2024
 

Anyway, apologies for taking this thread off track. The best picture nominees included some brilliant films (Zone of Interest, Anatomy of a Fall etc) but in my opinion Oppenheimer isn't partucularly good (Tom Conte as Einstein - pleeeeaaaseee) and The Holdovers is a fairly nice, middle of the road feelgood Christmas film but will be nowhere near spoken aboiut as one of the great films of this time period.

Yes, hence my caveat about the average being low recently. I still need to see Anatomy of a Fall, as well. Lots of people on the site also seem to be over the moon for Poor Things, but like most of Lanthimos' films, I was ambivalent about it. That said, I also really enjoyed Killers of the Flower Moon.

It was one of my very favorites of the year as well if it's any consolation. I really got something out of seeing these lonely souls comisserate and find a common bond over their too unsuccessful fight against an unjust system that rewards privilege over effort. You've also got all the special seasonings like that old-timey production logo and look and feel that places you right in the '70s, some of the year's best performances, how funny it is, etc. It was also just nice to not only get a movie like this in this day and age where it seems like such material can only be found on TV, but also that it treats its audiences like an adult. That's all a bit of an unfocused rant, but in short, I see ya, bro! :D

I disagree. The Holdovers is an endearing film that people will still be talking about for many years to come.

Yeah Poor Things doesn't make a Lanthimos Top 3 in my opinion, but hey ho.