It is Oscar time, and it is quite the interesting year with a wide-open field. We also bring you a Spring Cinema Series at The Cube: Noir Nights, beginning in late March. See the MCA website for more information to join us as we screen and discuss The Maltese Falcon, Double Indemnity, Strangers on a Train, and Sunset Boulevard. We hope to see you there!

Oscar Nominees

Anora

This hard-hitting drama from director Sean Baker (The Florida Project,) stars Mikey Madison as a dancer who meets the son of a Russian billionaire in a New York gentleman’s club. They have a fast fling and wind up marrying in Las Vegas; when his parents find out, the race to reverse the marriage is on. Madison gives a winning performance as the titular character, and Baker shows himself to be a stellar helmsman of this biting, real, raw, and thoughtful story that is the antidote to Hollywood fare such as Pretty Woman. This film was the early front-runner for the Oscar, took a back seat, and now has the momentum again.

Conclave

Based on the novel by Robert Harris, this gorgeously shot film tells the story of a pope’s death and the subsequent conclave to pick his successor. The inside baseball is interesting and the story is fascinating, but the directing, acting, and cinematography are the draw here. Ralph Fiennes in the lead and Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Isabella Rossellini in supporting roles are all magnificent and bring it to life. We dive right in and feel like this world exists—no small feat for such weighty material. This one has a good chance.

The Brutalist

This film, based on a fictional architect, has everything the Academy loves: a Holocaust survivor story, a period piece, beautiful sets and locations, expert acting and directing (Brady Corbet), and a grand scope. The title refers to the style of architecture employed by the main character, László Tóth (played brilliantly by Adrien Brody), but it can also be a metaphor for so many things in the film. Allegory abounds, and while sometimes it may be too on the nose, it still stings. It is also a brutal film, so be prepared for some striking and graphic images. This can certainly win, but I think its luster may have faded.

Emilia Pérez

Emilia Pérez

Currently available on Netflix, this genre-bending film from director Jacques Audiard is a joy to watch. This is a musical about a Mexican drug lord who has a sex change, fakes their death, moves the family to Switzerland, subsequently moves them back to Mexico, and lives with them as their aunt, and then becomes a human rights crusader finding the dead killed by the cartels. Yes, it is a wild film but one that has everything an Oscar winner  should have. Karla Sofía Gascón is the first transgender person to be nominated in a Best Acting category, and her performance is a winner. It is Zoe Saldaña, however, who gives an astonishing, jaw-dropping turn (nominated for Best Supporting Actress) that I see as the best performance of the year in any category. The film  is a contender, but recent controversies may sink its chances. Forget about all that and make sure you see it.

Other nominees include: A Complete Unknown (search FrontPorchNE.com for my January 2025 review), The Substance (wacky body-horror with a great performance from Demi Moore), Dune Part II (all around solid), Wicked (you’ve heard of it?), Nickel Boys (wonderful; see the forthcoming review), and I’m Still Here, which I see as the best of the bunch and a lock for Best International Feature. More on that next month too.

What I think will win: Anora

What should win: I’m Still Here

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Vincent Piturro, PhD., is a Professor of Film and Media Studies at MSU Denver. Contact him directly at vpiturro@msudenver.com or follow him on Twitter. For more reviews, search The Indie Prof at FrontPorchNE.com.