March 12, 2023, 4:28 AM
March 12, 2023, 4:28 AM
Oscar ceremony 2023, that brings together the most popular actors, directors and producers worldwide, will take place at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles tonight (8:00 p.m.) and the expectations are high to know who will win the main prizes, especially the one for best film.
The big winner in this category will come from among these ten nominees: All Quiet Front (Edward Berger), Avatar: The Water Sense (James Cameron), The Ghosts of Inisherin (Martin McDonagh) Elvis (Baz Luhmann), Everything at once everywhere (Dan Kwan, Daniel Scheinert, Daniels), The Fabelmans (Steven Spielberg) tar (Todd Field) Top Gun: Maverick (Joseph Kosinski) The triangle of sadness (Ruben Östlund) and They speak (Sarah Polley).
The publicist and cinephile Roberto Marcelo Vera saw the ten films and offers us a review of each one.
German Netflix film based on the novel by Erich M. Remarque, a technically gorgeous anti-war film that clearly shows that Hollywood-style cinema can be made out of Hollywood. It must be remembered that the Academy adores war films, recent examples: Dunkirk by C. Nolan and 1917 by S. Mendes, which would improve their chances in this award. If this film has a ‘but’, it is the fact that it is nominated in the categories of Best Film and Best Foreign Film and if it does not win the first one, it will probably win the second one, thus displacing the Latin American favourite: Argentina. , 1985.
What can be said about Spielberg that hasn’t been said before. After several decades of directing more than 30 films recorded in blood and fire in the history of cinema, this time he decides to tell his story. In biopic format, he narrates the intimate reasons why he loves making movies and he does it with the genius with which he faced his best productions. In Los Fabelmans he returns to touch on the distinctive themes of his cinema, showing us once again that no one tells stories like him. Special point for the impressive performance of Michele Williams in the role of Sammy’s mother.
The triangle of sadness
Triangle of sadness, Ruben Ostlund 2022, is a terribly scatological and scathing comedy in its criticism of the wealthy classes that, in addition tomore proposes profound reflections on capitalism and socialism. Society is going under and not just because of the filthy millionaires who go on vacation on that yacht turned into a sort of Noah’s Ark; the others, the crew, also have their share of guilt in this sordid operetta about human miseries. The film is backed by its recent winning of the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
Inisherin’s Ghosts
The Banshees of Inisherin is not easy to watch. This bittersweet comedy is about friendship, loneliness and the search for the very meaning of our existence, at the same time as a metaphor for the Irish civil war. In this film, the tremendous acting performance of its protagonists stands out: the goofy Pádraic (hand in hand with the unfairly underestimated Colin Farrell) and the stoic Colm (Brendan Gleeson). The film is directed by the Irish Martin McDonagh, the same as the award-winning “Three billboards on the outskirts of Ebbing”. Watching it is like drinking a bitter stout from start to finish, but no less tasty for that.
Sylvia Tár, the character, is despicable and much of that contempt is achieved thanks to the wonderful nuances in the performance of an impeccable Cate Blanchett whom we all adore. She directs this film about the abuse of power, cancel culture and the risks of extolling idols who abuse her power. The American Todd Field has taken more than a decade to direct his third film. Tár is a hypnotic and complex film about the mechanics of power and its darker side, which also has the challenge of achieving it from the perspective of a central female character. I enjoyed it.
Avatar, the watermark
James Cameron was once said to be the future of cinema. His deep commitment to the idea that technology should contribute to the enhancement of films and his deep respect for the environment, especially the marine world, have built a duality present in all of his filmography. In this sequel, which comes 12 years after the first, all the elements that made the first one of the highest grossing films in history are present. Despite a couple of weak points in the plot, the visual spectacularity of Cameron’s images reminds us that there is also a cinema that only wants to entertain you and nothing more.
(Women Talking, 2022) is the adaptation of the 2018 novel of the same name by Canadian writer Mirian Toews. This adaptation is scripted and directed by Sarah Polley, also a Canadian actress. The story takes place in an isolated Mennonite community, where hundreds of women, adults and girls, have been systematically raped by the men of the community while they slept. A group of women meets to decide what to do: forgive, stay and fight or leave. An impressive cast, headlined by Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley and Frances McDormand, lend weight to this film that bravely touches on an urgent issue.
Everything everywhere at the same time
If we had to find a term that has been consolidated in a unique and powerful way in popular culture, it would be “multiverse”. And this original, disruptive and recursive film by filmmakers Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert is precisely about multiverses, we say recursive because it barely cost 14 million dollars. Delirious in its forms but fun and avant-garde. It sounds strong among those who want a different kind of cinema.
Austin Butler is Elvis Presley, Tom Hanks is Colonel Tom Parker and Baz Luhrmann is the director of this wonderful film that dissects some episodes in the life of one of the great icons of popular culture. The director of Romeo and Juliet and Moulin Rouge presents his most important work to date, immersing us in a journey that goes from the cultural to the political without necessarily making Elvis a musical or a biopic. Brutal production design packed with compelling imagery and a great actor’s discovery make Elvis a great movie.
35 years after Top Gun, Commander Pete “Maverick” Mitchell is back and with him the blockbuster cinema or Blockbuster also returns in top form. Maverick is a recognition of the career of Tom Cruise, who has stood the test of time with an enviable physical display, refusing to use doubles in his stunts, showing professionalism beyond any doubt. Maverick is an old-fashioned visual exercise with real planes, no special effects, and all the action one expects from a movie of this type. No, it’s not a piece of garbage that got into your eye, it’s the emotion of hearing Harold Faltermayer’s musical introduction again in a movie theater.
