Oscar Nomination Highlights: ‘Avatar: Way of Water’ and ‘Top Gun’ Nominated

CNN
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Hundreds of movies were released on various platforms last year. However, if we tend to look back at any year in Hollywood, thanks in part to Oscar recognition, 2022 could prove to be a relatively underwhelming year for movies.

To its credit, 95th Oscar Nominations Reflects the breadth of the industry, from the Big Mac, Blockbuster Movies Audiences Love Movies like “Avatar: Way of Water” and “Top Gun: Maverick” — which combined to gross more than $3.5 billion worldwide — are major nods to the lesser-known small-scale films heralded by critic groups, including Star of “Aftersun” and “To Leslie.”

Streaming is also making waves again, as resistance on the podium to full acceptance ebbs after Hulu’s “Nomadland” and Apple TV+’s “CODA” won the last two best picture awards.

Still, some of the best films cut this year are glaringly flawed, with “The Banshees of Inisherin” compared to director Martin McDonagh’s more famous work. appears pale, while biography “Elvis Presley” had to overcome its over-the-top aspects, including Tom Hanks’ golden raspberry recognized supporting role.

It’s an observation rarely heard from media outlets focused on the horse-racing side of Oscar mania, and what the nominees have to say about the state of a film industry undergoing painful change.

Specifically, this year’s nominations seem to underscore the shift brought about by the advent of streaming and at-home viewing, as well as the painful and lingering impact of the pandemic, which temporarily closed theaters and helped evaporate much of the theater audience. Love this character. The movies that have traditionally dominated the Oscar race.

On the plus side, the nominations — big and small, theatrical and streaming, sequel and absolute original — feel like they have something for everyone, and when it comes down to it, it’s probably the best way to boost interest in the industry marquee The awards telecast has struggled in the ratings alongside its low-key brethren.

In this case, one can cynically see the endorsements of “Avatar” and “Top Gun” as bait to help lure people into the tent, or simply thank you for a job well done and help keep the tradition of theatrical films alive. .

Some other key or noteworthy takeaways from this year’s nominations:

Oscar voters recognize actors through a few underwhelming films, and it’s a bit like being the MVP on a losing team.

These included a pair of entertainment icons, Austin Butler’s Elvis Presley and Ana de Armas’ incredible role as Marilyn Monroe “Blonde” Shine through those extra layers of film. Ditto for Brendan Fraser in “The Whale” and Cate Blanchett’s riveting performances as imperious conductors in “Tar.”

The most nominated film of the year turns out to be one of the most ambitious and occasionally odd, prompting some speculation as to whether the Academy’s lumbering quadrant will “get” “Everything at the same time,” A multiverse saga, dotted with hot dog fingers and anthropomorphic rocks. Apparently enough of them did.

Plus, “Everywhere,” which strikes a sweet spot between big effects-driven performances and character-driven storytelling, and which didn’t have a solid box-office foothold among this year’s many nominees, may now be hurt by streaming. /Digital Shock.

When it comes to streaming, Netflix isn’t quite in keeping with the flamboyant pace of recent years, but it’s still generating buzz, considering the German film it backed, “All Quiet on the Western Front,” as well as major nominations for films like “Blonde” and “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” — all of these videos are likely to be seen by more voters because of the reach of the platform.

Spielberg’s deeply personal film memoir “The Fabermans” Earned his ninth best director nomination, tying Martin Scorsese for that milestone among living directors and trailing only the late William Wheeler, who had more than a dozen nominations.

Spielberg’s favorite composer, Williams, also has 53 Oscar nominations at the age of 90, second only to Walt Disney (59) in history.

Spielberg has already won two Oscars for “Schindler’s List” and “Saving Private Ryan” (though the latter didn’t win Best Picture). Another equivalent of his directorial origin story will be a sentimental cap on the 76-year-old director’s illustrious career.

In a year of witnessing predatory behavior Producer Harvey Weinstein bring to screen “she says,” A breakthrough in the best picture category was the low-key film “Women Speak,” about the abuse of female residents in a modern-day cult.However, while there is space ‘Women Speak,’ Without a Female Directorat least among the nominees in that category this year, another way the Oscars seem to tend to take a step back every two advances.