The long-awaited 94th edition of The Academy Awards was held last sunday, on March 27th. The most popular and important event in the movie industry brought back the host format, which had been abandoned for the last four years. However, the tendency to increase diversity among the nominees has been kept, with many representative nominations and winners called by the famous line “And the oscar goes to…”.
Knowing that the Oscars are divided into 24 categories – “Best Picture”, “Best Animation”, “Best Actor” and so on – and that watching movies takes time, people usually select only a few of them to watch. For this year’s edition, which had more than 40 movies included, here’s a list of the best five movies of this season for you to watch:
1. CODA
This movie tells the touching story of a deaf family, in which the only member who can listen is the younger daughter, Ruby. CODA shows the ups and downs of her parents’ working routine in the fish industry and her trying to pursue her dream of a singing career. Directed by a woman (Sian Heder) and with actual deaf actors, the movie won the three awards to which it had been nominated: Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor, with Troy Kotsur, who plays the father of the family.
2. King Richard
King Richard reenacts how the real-life sisters Venus and Serena Williams started to achieve success as tennis players. It shows their commitment in their way to the top, as well as their father’s influence on the girl’ career, who does the possible and the impossible to see his daughters grow. Along with the Best Picture nomination, the movie has granted Will Smith the Best Actor award and Aunjanye Ellis a nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
3. FLEE
Flee was a surprise this season. It has the most various nominations, being the first in history to be nominated simultaneously for Best International Feature Film, Best Documentary Feature and Best Animated Feature. It tells the real and emotional story of Amin Nawabi, the youngest son of an Afghan refugee family, switching between animation and real images. It follows the collective and individual agony of refugees, in addition to other conflicts the protagonist faces, like the battle of hiding his sexuality for more than 20 years.
4. Drive My Car
Made for a japanese public, this year’s international candidate for Best Picture brings a refreshing style of film making to the ocidental audience. It follows the protagonist, Yusuke Kafuku, as he mourns and tries to deal with his wife’s death, while facing many other strifes of an evolving adult, such as his work, his traumas and his love for his car, which he can’t drive anymore due to his poor sight.
5. The Power Of The Dog
The most nominated movie of this edition, with twelve nominations, couldn’t stay out of this list. Its director, Jane Campion, who got the Best Director award, is the only woman in history to be nominated twice for that category – for which she was first nominated for her work in “The Piano” (1993). One of the highlights that make this movie worth watching is the brilliant acting of Benedict Cumberbatch, who held a very well deserved nomination for Best Actor.
The Power Of The Dog shows incredible scenarios, captured by Ari Wegner – the first woman nominated for Best Photography – which are matched by the amazing soundtrack, that makes the movie unforgettable for those who watch it. Oh, and it has an implicit message in the middle of the old west plot, which makes it even more interesting.
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The article above was written by Fernanda Garcia and edited by Giulia Gianolla.
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