Coming in last place is TÁR, a film about Lydia Tár, a fictional composer played wonderfully by Cate Blanchett (Thor: Ragnarok) – the definite highlight for me. I can’t say that the high-society world of classical music interests me, hindering my enjoyment of the movie. It’s also nearly three hours long, which feels entirely unjustified as there simply isn’t sufficient plot to fill that runtime. I applaud the film’s commentary on cancel culture, although ultimately it’s all quite surface-level. 2.5/5
I’ve never been a fan of Baz Luhrmann’s work, especially after being subjected to Romeo + Juliet several times in school. And this movie is Luhrmann at his worst. The first ten minutes are genuinely nauseating, the insane editing giving the movie the feel of a drug trip. Thankfully, this calms down as the film progresses. As in the previous entry, the movie's lead performance is easily its best aspect. Austin Butler (Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood) is fantastic as Elvis Presley, though the script misses an opportunity to delve deeper into his character, leaving this a disappointingly shallow biopic. 3/5
A satire of the uber-wealthy is not the most original idea, but it does lead to some genuinely funny moments – most involving Woody Harrelson’s (Zombieland) character. My main problem with this movie is that every scene is twice as long as it needs to be. Also, the film divides into three distinct segments, the first of which is entirely unnecessary. In fact, editing out close to an hour of this movie’s runtime would improve it drastically, quickening its glacial pacing and preventing the jokes from wearing thin. 3/5
On release, Everything Everywhere All at Once received almost universal acclaim, many calling it one of the greatest films of all time. Maybe this set my expectations too high, but I can’t say I entirely agree. The film’s emotional beats didn’t always land for me, and I found most of its weirdness annoying. That said, it is undoubtedly a great movie, with well-choreographed action sequences and some very inventive sci-fi concepts. Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) is perfectly cast, as is Ke Huy Quan (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom), whom I am thrilled to see returning to acting. 4/5
Women Talking is an intimate drama about the women of an isolated religious community deciding how to proceed, following a series of sexual assaults perpetrated by the colony’s men. Although almost every scene is purely dialogue focused, the film impressively manages to remain engaging for its entire runtime, largely due to its stellar cast. Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Claire Foy (First Man), Jessie Buckley (I’m Thinking of Ending Things) and Frances McDormand (Fargo) all excel in their roles. Each character very much has their own opinion on how to proceed, resulting in intense debating sequences akin to those in Sidney Lumet’s 12 Angry Men. 4/5
Kicking off the top 5, we have All Quiet on the Western Front – one of the best war films in recent years. Its superiority compared to most other movies in the genre results from its success in not glorifying any aspect of war. Every part of the film, from its editing to its acting, is deliberately designed to portray World War 1’s barbarity and pointlessness. The only other movie that portrays the brutality of war so effectively is Saving Private Ryan, with its famous D-Day sequence. Felix Kammerer plays our protagonist in a stunning debut, and it’s hard to believe this is his first film role. 4/5
Avatar: The Way of Water is visually breathtaking from start to finish. Unfortunately, start to finish is 192 long minutes, most of which were painfully felt – a common theme among this year’s nominees. On the plus side, James Cameron is a master of action, so, unsurprisingly, every sequence was exhilarating. Exploring a new region of Pandora was interesting, and I really appreciated the stronger focus on character development compared to the first film. However, the movie does feature a few too many characters, sometimes resulting in a cluttered feel. 4/5
Taking third place is Steven Spielberg's latest project, The Fabelmans – a beautiful love-letter to the power of cinema. The film tells the semi-autobiographical story of Sammy Fabelman (an avatar for Spielberg) pursuing his passion for filmmaking while facing familial struggles. I loved Gabriel LaBelle's portrayal of Sammy. He effectively conveys the character's developing love of film and how he uses it to cope with a troubled home life. Paul Dano (The Batman) and Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea) are similarly brilliant as Sammy's parents, gelling wonderfully with LaBelle. Spielberg's direction is exquisite, but given that he's arguably the most iconic director ever, that's hardly surprising. 4.5/5
My runner-up is The Banshees of Inisherin, a movie as hilarious as it is deeply depressing. Director Martin McDonagh balances tone incredibly well here. The film shifts from delightfully funny to incredibly distressing and then back again several times in the same scene, impressively never once feeling jarring. The two leads, Colin Farrell (The Lobster) and Brendan Gleason (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) are both excellent in their roles. The history between the pair is almost tangible, and I was instantly invested in their relationship, desperately wanting things to work out for them. 4.5/5
Not only is Top Gun: Maverick my firm favourite of this year's nominees, it's my pick for the best film released last year. Words struggle to do justice to the sheer excitement I felt watching the movie's jaw-dropping aerial sequences on the big screen. Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible) truly is one of the last Hollywood mega-stars, committing his all to every film. Throughout the movie, you feel the care and effort that went into ensuring the audience has the best possible experience. For my money, one of the greatest action films in recent memory. 5/5
2022 was a stellar year for film, as reflected in the overall calibre of these nominees. Here’s hoping for more of the same this year!
