Eight Films to Consider Before Oscar Nominations (for Better or Worse)

I’ve name-dropped the podcast Filmspotting here on the blog a few times now. For the past decade, they’ve been my go-to source for recommendations for the kinds of films I’m interested in seeing, both new releases and older films that are simply blind spots in my viewing. Because I’m a sheep (or a lemming, if you consider the Academy to be a Disney production team pushing me off a cliff), I partake in the masochistic guilty pleasure of following the Oscars closely, trying to catch up on as many  nominations as I can, in addition to the criminally overlooked works that will never get their due in Hollywood. My kickoff to Oscar season begins with Filmspotting’s end of year roundtable, in which hosts Adam Kempenaar and Josh Larsen are joined by fellow film critics Michael Phillips, of The Chicago Tribune, and Tasha Robinson, of the podcast The Next Picture Show, to discuss their individual top ten films of the year. I refer to these lists to get an idea of the films I would appreciate from the past year, and try to fit them in (to the best of my ability) before Oscar nominations are announced, at which point I usually have about a month to watch  about sixty titles. Nominations will be announced next Monday morning, so I’d like to address eight of Filmspotting’s most appreciated films of the year that might be worth a look, regardless of what the Academy thinks. I have only seen half of these ten titles thus far (and thoroughly disagree with one of their picks), but all of these titles definitely belong in a conversation about film and Hollywood at the end of the decade.

Parasite (dir. Bong Joon-ho)

This film has been getting a lot of praise lately, and is the film I am most eager to get to see. Discussion of class difference? Humor? Great performances? I’m there.

The Irishman (dir. Martin Scorsese)

This was one of the films I’ve had a chance to see, as it has been streaming on Netflix since November. I don’t know what to say. Scorsese is not a filmmaker that speaks to me in any meaningful way. The movie was… fine? There was nothing of value in it for me, but it wasn’t egregiously awful or offensive. I will probably never watch it again, as is the case with most of his films that I see.  

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (dir. Céline Sciamma)

Sciamma’s Tomboy was one of my favorite films of 2011. It was a quiet, visually-rich, engrossing film that has stayed with me for the past nine years. I was overjoyed to hear her name in the conversation this year, and can’t wait to see this one as soon as I can.

Knives Out (dir. Rian Johnson)

This film not only met, but actually exceeded my expectations as I watched this hilarious and relevant take on the whodunit. The unexpected turn that the film quickly takes within the first half hour leads to a degree of fun and insight that is undoubtedly praiseworthy. 

Marriage Story (dir. Noah Baumbach)

The director of Frances Ha( one of my favorite films of the decade) knocks it out again with this devastating, and at times humorous, look at the postmortem phase of a relationship. I think it’ll be difficult to find a more emotionally-charged set of performances this year than those of Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver in this great film.

A Hidden Life (dir. Terrence Malick)

Sarah and I may be two of the only film buffs who disliked Malick’s 2011 film The Tree of Life. He just seemed to be saying a lot less than the dreamlike visuals and philosophical voiceover implied. That being said, until I saw Malick’s name attached to the end of the trailer for this film, I was pretty interested to see it. I guess I’ll give the guy another shot…  

Little Women (dir. Greta Gerwig)

In this adaptation of the classic Alcott story (with a bit of a twist), Gerwig proves that the tale of these four sisters remains a relevant discussion of female relationships and individualism within patriarchal society. The wonderful performances, nonlinear narrative, and nods to the real life of Alcott, bring us something new out of the familiar.

The Last Black Man in San Francisco (dir. Joe Talbot)

I regret to be counted among the vast number of people that have yet to see this film (this will soon be remedied, as I discovered today that the movie is streaming on Amazon Prime). Nearly every person I’ve heard talk about the film cryptically describes it as a film that’s simultaneously about gentrification and not about it at all. You can’t get a more intriguing recommendation than that!  I’m looking forward to finally seeing this highly praised film very soon!

What are your thoughts on the acclaimed films of 2019? What do you still need to catch up on? Are you willing to admit that you, too, follow the Oscars more closely than is healthy? Let us know in the comments below!

Copyright © 2020 Bailey Lizotte