The Oscars 2024: A Cinematic Kaleidoscope

A Strong Year for Film

Despite the tremors of change and trepidation rippling through Hollywood, the 2024 Oscar nominations reveal a vibrant industry teeming with talent. From thought-provoking documentaries to dazzling visual effects, the nominated films offer a rich tapestry of stories, styles, and perspectives.

This year’s selection presents a unique challenge: comparing apples and oranges, or perhaps, bananas and pomegranates. While ranking such diverse films feels like an exercise in futility, one thing’s for sure: with few exceptions, there’s something to appreciate in each and every one. And some even touch true greatness.

From Audacious to Animated: A Spectrum of Storytelling

Some films aimed for audacious storytelling, like Jacques Audiard's decidedly French musical drama, pushing boundaries while grappling with complex themes of identity and family – though perhaps not always successfully.

Animation flourished, showcasing both captivating visuals and poignant narratives. Gints Zilbalodis's dialogue-free Flow, a Latvian marvel, captivated audiences with its stunning 3D animation and emotionally resonant story of an unusual animal alliance.

On a more somber note, Adam Elliot's stop-motion film delved into devastating tragedy, echoing the bleakness of Hanya Yanagihara's A Little Life.

Documenting Reality: Unflinching Looks at Injustice and Resilience

Documentaries brought unflinching realities to the forefront, from the horrors of the Canadian Indian residential school system in Backlash: Misogyny in the Digital Age to the personal struggle for justice in the wake of sexual assault documented in Shiori Itō's Black Box Diaries.

Bill Morrison's Incident, a powerful film constructed from surveillance and body-cam footage, offered a chilling and systemic look at the aftermath of police brutality in Chicago.

Biopics: Reimagining the Genre

Even the often-stale biopic genre saw exciting reinterpretations. James Mangold’s A Complete Unknown defied expectations with Timothée Chalamet’s compelling portrayal of Bob Dylan, sidestepping many of the pitfalls that plague the genre.

Robbie Williams’s Better Man, however, despite its CGI monkey protagonist, ultimately fell prey to well-worn clichés.

The Brutalist: A Testament to Cinematic Ambition

In a year filled with cinematic giants, one film stood out, reminding us of the power of ambitious, original storytelling. Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist, a sweeping epic about a Hungarian refugee architect, showcased bold visuals, a captivating score, and a novelistic scope, proving that “big” movies can be about more than just superheroes and special effects.

“The imperfections are the flaws that mark The Brutalist as a work of human hands – a testament to what movies are still capable of,” commented one critic.