If you look at the Gold Derby charts, Gina Prince-Bythewood‘s “The Woman King” is sitting at the precipice of a Best Picture nomination. The movie is #11, veering very close to dethroning Glass Onion at #10. Is it going to get Best Picture nominated? Other possible contenders for that tenth and final slot are “RRR” and “Babylon.”
I didn’t feel the same high certain critics felt with “The Woman King.” It’s a mostly bloated and messy epic about black female warriors. Any momentum that gets built up in this 134-minute movie is quickly destroyed by constantly unnecessary narrative interruptions. The action is also very choppy.
Prince-Bythewood did a better job directing the thrills in Netflix’s half-decent “The Old Guard.” However, Viola Davis is good as General Nanisca of The Dahomey army. Ditto Lashana Lynch, who easily gets best in show awards here, too bad she has a supporting role. At least the costumes were great?
French critics did not take the “representation” bait like US critics did with “The Woman King,” they know the film is utterly conventional and bland. Critically, in France, it has a 2.6 rating on AlloCine (the French equivalent of Rotten Tomatoes). “Everything Everywhere All At Once” has a 3.9.
Whether “The Woman King” gets in or not, the current predicted nominees will translate into one of the worst Best Picture lineups in recent memory.