By: Sara Brinkac, Humour Editor
Oscar night is approaching and glamour is in the air! While it may be an exciting time for film buffs and movie lovers alike, you may feel a little lost on which films to check out and root for. So, here’s a quick guide to this season’s hottest contenders who we’re sure will clean up come Oscar night!
The Escapist
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Rachel Weisz, Olivia Colman, and Timotheé Chalamet
Director: Steven Spielberg
You’ve never seen Dwayne Johnson quite like this. Gaining multiple award nominations, the tough action hero shows his tender side in this three-and-a-half hour drama/action/adventure/comedy. With $50 million sets, state of the art CGI, and musical numbers, this is the ultimate summer blockbuster Steven Spielberg has been working towards his entire career. While the Academy has been known to make outlandish nominations in the past, it’s reassuring to see a film of substance finally get the nominations it deserves.
Meeting Maria
Stars: Sandra Bullock, Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, and Timotheé Chalamet
Director: Patty Jenkins
According to the Academy, this is “a film contemplating the identity of women and the roles they are expected to play in society,” as demonstrated by the main role of Maria being played in separate scenes by Bullock, Diaz, and Lopez respectively. Typically, this would not be one of our Oscar picks because this is a perfect example of confusing, artsy Hollywood, too busy “experimenting” rather than telling an actually cohesive story. However, what we believe really makes this film empowering is that Maria is a hired assassin who isn’t your typical femme fatale but an older woman without make-up. It’s so refreshing to be told that women still have use when they aren’t young or pretty, they can even be action heroes! You go girls!
Citizen Kane (2022)
Stars: Timotheé Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Zendaya, and Tom Holland
Director: Adam McKay
With two best picture nominations this season (the other being Don’t Look Up) the king of satire himself has taken on one of the most daringly bold film projects to date: a remake of Citizen Kane. Often described as the one of the best films ever made due to its technical, theatrical, and narrative achievements, McKay says “it could be better” and wholly believes he’s the man smart enough to correct what Orson Welles missed. Well, we couldn’t agree more. What was once a dull black-and-white film, McKay has turned into a stylized spectacle with added storylines that turns this film into a three hour, scathingly satirical epic. For readers unaware of the plot of Citizen Kane, it is a commentary on capitalist corruption of the human soul and condemns the creation of celebrity, a message McKay believes the world is in dire need of. He couldn’t be more right, and this star studded celebrity cast delivers the film’s message with all the emotional appeal and grandeur that was frankly lacking in the original.
