Let’s be honest — Academy Award nominated films don’t necessarily appeal to everyone. They’re geared towards very specific audiences who may not be your everyday moviegoer. Broadly speaking, they are kind of similar in tone and treatment. Brooding. Artistic. Angsty. Ostensibly full of symbolism. Colour grading cranked to maximum levels.
It’s almost as if an entertaining film can’t be considered a literary masterpiece.
In any case, here’s what you should really be watching — and the pretentious duds you should be skipping.
Let’s begin with the winner for Best Picture. It looks like a dark horse, what with its fantasy themes and lack of historical significance. It’s also incredibly disturbing, featuring an intimate scene between its mute protagonist and an amphibious humanoid (as well as implying that they would forevermore be engaging in carnal pleasures underwater). Admittedly, it’s artistically shot. However, you should really be turning to other avenues if such awkward scenes are highlights for you.
Score: 3.2/5
It’s hard to get more indulgent and pointless than “Lady Bird”, at least when it comes to central characters. The supporting cast of this coming-of-age drama are wonderful to watch, which makes its main character so much more inane in comparison. Saoirse Ronan tries her best to imbue titular Lady Bird with layers, but there’s only so much one can do to save a boring, entitled, simplistic character.
Score: 2.5/5
Few films make the sort of dramatic impact that “All The Money in the World” does, despite the fact that it’s based on a true story (and hence, has less leeway for dramatisation). Each character is interesting enough to helm the film on their own — and the sum of their interactions is what makes this film so amazing. There’s also the very impressive fact that the film went through drastic reshoots and editing just two months prior to its release (when a major character was recast).
Score: 4.4/5
“The Post” will probably be slightly inaccessible to the general public (since it is about journalists and their woes), but it’s packed with old school drama. If you think about it, the characters don’t really have very earthshaking problems — but goodness, they sure do react as if the end of the world were imminent. It’s an incredible film, given that it doesn’t have very visually stimulating elements.
Score: 4.0/5
Score: 3.6/5
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- [Movie Review] ‘Lady Bird’ mistakes self-indulgence for significance
- [Movie Review] ‘All The Money in the World’ is a powerful tale of wealth and crassness
- [Movie Review] Story, dialogue, drama — ‘The Post’ delivers despite being based on real-life events
This is an original article on marcusgohmarcusgoh.com
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I’m a Singapore television scriptwriter who’s written for Lion Mums, Crimewatch, Police & Thief, and Incredible Tales. I’m also a Transformers enthusiast and avid pop culture scholar. You can find me on social media as Optimarcus and on my site.
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