"My" Oscar Best Picture 2024 Rankings

Well, here we are. Right before the award ceremony, I managed to watch the last film nominated for Oscar Best Picture 2024. I do this every year - I love the Oscars, especially for allowing me to discover many fantastic films, because contrary to popular belief, the Oscars always maintain an incredibly high level. And since this year's competition completely captivated me, I couldn't resist creating my own Top 10... so I'm sharing :D

MAESTRO

This was actually the only film I didn't like. I think it's an example of what the mass consciousness perceives as "Oscar Bait". Style definitely triumphed over substance here, making the film ultimately a tedious watch. I wasn’t too impressed with "A Star is Born", and this was much worse.

KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON

And here's where it gets interesting, because I really like Scorsese's new film. Just that this year - as I mentioned - the competition is really high. An interesting historical piece about the exploitation of Native Americans and the founding of the FBI, with good performances, but ultimately it didn't leave me with "that something". I expect That One Scene from Oscar films that I'll remember for years (especially from dramas). Hence, (emphasizing - being a very good film) it's ranked so low.

AMERICAN FICTION

This was quite a surprise for me. I was expecting typical "Bait", but it turned out to be a quite funny satire (albeit heavy-handed and exaggerated). The humor is sometimes reminiscent of South Park, several plot solutions are not obvious, and the ending was quite clever and amusing for me. It's not a work I'll remember for years, but it definitely has its merits. A bit of a sledgehammer, but enjoyable to watch.

BARBIE

I really like Greta Gerwig, I love both Lady Bird and Little Women. I also had fun with Barbie, although for me it’s a bit like Joker, just from the other side. A very personal production for adults, but addressing its subject in a rather simplistic way with a weak ending. Nonetheless, very "entertaining". Just this year there was a much better Barbie.

THE HOLDOVERS

Warm cinema, straight out of the 70s. I watched it with my wife and mom, both had a great time. I also really like The Holdovers, entering the territory where I "wouldn't be offended" by an Oscar win (and remember, there are still five positions ahead). However, I would see it more as an Oscar winner for screenplay or even acting. It just lacked that spark of genius, that one "Wow!", that would make the whole thing stay with me for years. I know for many it’s a candidate for movie of the year, but I’m moving on with my list. Yet, it’s still excellent cinema, and wonderfully written.

OPPENHEIMER

I love Nolan, "Interstellar" is my top film of all time. Tenet (more so) and Dunkirk (less so) were somewhat disappointing, but Oppenheimer is a brilliantly made biopic and Nolan's return to his best. Both timelines are fascinating, suspenseful from start to finish, I loved the ending - it hit me hard. The downside? I had to consult Wikipedia during the movie to understand some parts, last time this happened was with Fincher's "Mank". But Oppenheimer is still that perfect mix of auteur cinema and blockbuster, for me, winning the "Barbenheimer" clash.

PAST LIVES

Embarrassing confession: I cry at sappy Oscar Melodramas, and "La La Land" and "Brooklyn" are among my favorite films of recent years. So, I expected Past Lives might hit me hard, but this film basically does everything right. It's charming, warm, romantic, and has this hovering atmosphere of "what if". And the ending, the last dialogue is definitely beautiful and remains one of my favorite "scenes" from recent years. This is why I always watch the full Oscar slate.

THE ZONE OF INTEREST

Banality of Evil The Movie, Hannah Arendt would be proud of the creators. I don’t like war cinema that overly indulges in pathos and tries to shock emotionally, hence I love The Zone of Interest. The film essentially takes place in the shadow of a concentration camp's walls, while showing characters so rooted in their ideology that they’re terrifying, contrasting this with the normalcy of family life and work, which more resembles corporate projects than a war machine (without exaggerating or cliché). To illustrate my point, there’s a scene where a father reads "Hansel and Gretel" to his daughter at bedtime. At the climax, when Gretel locks the witch in the oven, the father - the camp commander - adds to his child "Because that's

what you should do with bad people - you should burn them". Hearing this, I had to take a real pause, talk it out with my wife, and return to watching after a while. Fantastic how it’s possible to discuss the topic of camps without resorting to Holocaust-Porn.

POOR THINGS

This is the aforementioned "better Barbie". Lanthimos is one of my favorite directors (another one in today’s lineup), and Poor Things is my second favorite film of his - right after "The Killing of a Sacred Deer". I wish for more Lanthimos, using his distinctive style without seasoning it with grotesque and humor. In "Poor Things", however, it works excellently. The film is incredibly theatrical, and Emma Stone's performance is outstanding, though I think the cast could easily be awarded more than one statuette (crying over the lack of a nomination for William Dafoe). Stylized, but I love stylized things. And it almost reached my Top 1, but...

ANATOMY OF A FALL

A masterpiece. A genre film - a courtroom drama, where it's to be proven whether a woman killed her husband or if he committed suicide. I don’t want to say absolutely anything about this film because it simply has to be watched, but it features characters so beyond any judgment, urging you to compare your own experiences with another person immediately after viewing. And it has That One Scene close to the end, which, like in Past Lives, will stay with me for a long, I dare say, until the end of my life. That's why it's my top pick in this incredibly strong lineup that 2024 has brought us.

I love my Oscar Challenge, and I want to leave you with the thought - the Oscars are not political (at least not every year), they are not "bait" (at least not every year), it's simply a celebration of cinema. So, I also recommend this kind of annual challenge to you - some years and films are weaker, but I'm sure everyone will discover at least one film that will stay with them for a long time.