My ranking of the Best Picture Nominees

1.) Parasite: The best picture actually won Best Picture. And it was not only a foreign language film with subtitles, it was a Marxist analysis of class. How did this happen?

2.) Ford v Ferrari: Great cinema. No CGI. Seriously this film is better than it has a right to be.

3.) Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: Also great cinema. No CGI. Effectively addresses the anxiety middle-aged white men have about being has beens and never weres. The scene where Brad Pitt throws Bruce Lee into a car was great. Get over it. Makes me wonder how much better Pulp Fiction would have been if Tarantino had cast Pitt as Butch instead of that irritating 1980s cliche Bruce Willis.

4.) Little Women: Not as good as Gerwig’s earlier film Ladybird. Shies away from class. Greta Gerwig actually has a take on class similar to Bong Joon-ho but she always loses her nerve at the last minute and tacks on a phony happy ending.

5.) 1917: The British Saving Private Ryan. Lots of jingoism wrapped up in a lot of blood and gore.

6.) Joker: Had some good moments. But in general boring and overrated.

7.) The Irishman: Dull, depressing, cliched. Do we really need a 4 hour long Sopranos episode with CGI de-aging?

8.) Marriage Story: Didn’t see. I liked Baumbach’s earlier films The Squid and the Whale and Frances Ha so I’ll probably see it eventually. But I don’t really see him capable of making a truly great movie. The trials and tribulations of Brooklyn WASPs can only be so interesting.

9.) Jojo Rabbit: didn’t see.

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