On March 10th the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (AMPAS) will host its 96th annual celebration of what its members deem the best films from the past year. Though the Oscars are preceded by awards from numerous critic’s groups, the Golden Globes, and various guilds (e.g., the Screen Actors Guild) the Oscars remain the Gold standard of film industry recognition. Like many media industry awards it is frequently criticized as more of a promotional tool than an artistic vehicle. When commercial films with big production budgets, high box office returns, and big names win connoisseurs frequently lament the lack of attention for more daring and innovative films.

After the health constraints imposed during the global COVID-19 pandemic, and the commercial success of blockbusters such as Top Gun: Maverick (2022) and Barbie (2023), the film industry appears to be resurging. This past year a broad range of films including musicals, intimate dramas, biopics, foreign films, and blockbusters, constitute this year’s group of so-called “prestige” films contending for the big prize. Prior to the announcement of the nominees, on January 23, I’m sharing my thoughts on the best films and performances I’ve seen.

Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and Martin Scorcese’s Killers of the Flower Moon are among the most acclaimed films of the year and are considered frontrunners so consider this list an alternative perspective, since I haven’t seen them yet. Unfortunately, several promising films, such as Ava DuVernay’s Origin, have not yet opened so I reserve judgment until I see them. I have no seen them yet. Without further ado here are some reflections on the best of 2023’s films:

Best Picture: American Fiction

(Also: Adapted Screenplay and Director, Cord Jefferson, and Actor, Jeffrey Wright [see below])

Based on Percival Everett’s novel Erasure, the film adaptation American Fiction is a brilliant satire of deeply ingrained American attitudes about the capacity and scope of Black creatives, and a tender family drama are both difficult to execute well and this film balances them with stunning aplomb. Jeffrey Wright’s layered performance leads a stellar cast of accomplished actors including Erika Alexander, Sterling K. Brown, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Leslie Uggams. Integral to the film’s success is Jefferson’s translation of key themes from the novel scaled appropriately for film. His choices give us access to both the acerbic humor of the larger culture and the pathos that emerges in its well-drawn intimate settings.

Other standout films:

All of Us Strangers

This unusually tender and intimate film bridges our present and past by asking: If we could go back in time and reconnect with people we’ve lost would we have the courage to admit we felt disappointed and abandoned emotionally while simultaneously aching for more time with them? Would the deceased recognize our truths and try to reconcile? Anchoring this is the lonely screenwriter at its center, Adam (Andrew Scott), who forges a real-world bond with is lonely, troubled neighbor (Paul Mescal), and an otherworldly connection with his deceased parents (Jamie Bell and Claire Foy). What could have been leaden or schmaltzy is remarkably quiet, spacious, and sensual.

Anatomy of a Fall

The plot: a successful author, who is also a wife and mother, living in the French Alps with her son, and husband, is put on trial in a French court for the ambiguous demise of her husband. What could have been a stock courtroom drama is a compelling glimpse into the hidden recesses of a troubled relationship between a productive writer confident in her talents and able to draw people in, and her less productive, depressed husband who is threatened by his wife’s success and feels guilty about an accident that compromised their son’s health. The film’s direction has a tidal effect gradually engrossing you in the lives of this family and the case’s outcome.

Barbie

Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach’s screenplay is surprisingly subversive given the inherent limitations of writing about a doll. In between the pink hued set design and the gags are some interesting insights about what it means to question reality. Whether delivered with a wink (I see you Ryan Gosling) or earnestly (America Ferrera) it’s a smart, fun film.

The Color Purple

The original 1985 film starring Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, Margaret Avery, and Danny Glover is a classic that translated Walker’s acclaimed novel into a vibrant cinematic experience that earned the film a slew of awards and recognition, including 11 Oscar nominations. This new adaptation based on the successful Broadway musical version is a triumphant film led anchored by superb performances from its cast especially Fantasia Barrino, Taraji. P. Henson, Colman Domingo, and Corey Hawkins, and a star making film debut for Danielle Brooks, as well as an eclectic range of dynamic songs, and dazzling choreography, costuming and production.

See my Raves and Faves of 2023 for my notes on the outstanding films below:

https://www.riffsbeatsandcodas.com/blog/2023/12/29/2023s-riffs-beats-amp-codas-raves-and-faves

The Holdovers

May December

Rye Lane

Shortcomings

Best Actor: Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction

Wright has been an acclaimed, notable actor since his Tony winning performance in 1993’s Angels in America on Broadway and his lead role in 1996’s Basquiat. Though he has continued thriving in various roles (e.g., Topdog/Underdog on Broadway, HBO’s Westworld) American Fiction gives him the juicy lead role his talent deserves. Adept at sardonic humor, (mostly) righteous anger, and pathos, his presence in nearly every scene in American Fiction is central to the film’s irrepressible gravity.

Other notable lead actors:

Colman Domingo, Rustin and The Color Purple

Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers

Andrew Scott, All of Us Strangers

Tee Yoo, Past Lives

Best Actress: Sandra Huller, Anatomy of a Fall

Other notable lead actresses:

Fantasia Barrino

Annette Bening, Nyad

Carry Mulligan, Maestro

Margot Robbie, Barbie

Emma Stone, Poor Things

Huller, as Sandra, inhabits her character with a disarming mix of slyness and empathy. This ambiguity draws you closer to Sandra even as she defies your ability to know her fully.

Best Supporting Actor: Charles Melton, May December

Other notable supporting actors:

Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction

Willem Dafoe, Poor Things

Ryan Gosling, Barbie

Paul Mescal, All of Us Strangers

Dominic Sessa, The Holdovers

Ben Whishaw, Passages

As Joe Melton has the tricky task of balancing a discernible boyishness with the lethargy of a middle-aged man still stuck between adolescence and adulthood. Melton’s slow burn despair is remarkably subtle.

Best Supporting Actress (tie): Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple) and Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers

Other notable supporting actresses:

America Ferrera, Barbie

Jodie Foster, Nyad

Taraji P. Henson, The Color Purple

Julianne Moore, May December

Leslie Uggams, American Fiction

Brooks established herself as a gifted dramatic and comedic actress through her roles on Broadway (e.g., The Color Purple, The Piano Lesson) and television (Taystee on Orange is the New Black, Mahalia Jackson on Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia). In The Color Purple she is a scene stealing force of nature who endears herself to audiences the moment she appears and continually wins you over with her power, and her near tragic arc.

Randolph, also a gifted theatrical actress, is the most grounded character in The Holdovers’ stellar ensemble. Her performance projects warmth, wisdom, and humor alongside a deeply internal sense of loss that emerges in key moments.

Best Adapted Screenplay: American Fiction, Cord Jefferson

Other notable adapted screenplays:

All of Us Strangers

Poor Things

Shortcomings

Best Original Screenplay: Anatomy of a Fall, Justine Triet and Arthur Harari

Other notable original screenplays:

Barbie

Past Lives

Passages

If I picked the Oscars…

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