Oscars — Best Picture Race Slowly Taking Shape: Nolan vs Scorsese?

I know it’s way too early to speculate, but an Oscar race is is slowly brewing between Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” and Nolan’s “Oppenheimer.”

What I will say is that, if it really comes down to these two movies, then I’ll be more than happy with the outcome because, truth be told, Nolan and Scorsese’s films are two of the best big studio films I’ve seen so far this year.

As for Gerwig’s “Barbie,” it has received enough acclaim, immense box-office and become a cultural phenomenon that I just can’t see it missing a nomination, even with a little more than five months left in the year.

Technically, Celine Song’s “Past Lives” is still the most critically acclaimed movie of the year and there might not be another movie to dethrone it this year. The Oscar quota is there as well. Immigrant story, female director, indie success and the A24 machine fully backing it.

What else? I’m almost tempted to believe that “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” has a shot. A major blockbuster that’ll have Academy voters willing to check their animation bias at the door, and for good reason. ‘Across the Spider-Verse’ is an animated gamechanger.

Or, how about Ben Affleck “Air” which is said to have played very well with Academy voters these past few months. It’s the kind of safe and wholesome entertainment that wouldn’t have been out of place at the 1995 Oscars. A stacked cast and Affleck comeback is definitely an infectious narrative.

A few foreign contenders screened at Cannes this year, prime among them is Justine Triet’s “Anatomy of a Fall,” a mesmerizing whodunnit that circumvents cliches to probe the hidden mysteries lying behind a potential murder.

As stunningly rendered as Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest” might be, its cool, detached arthouse style might not be enough to convince Academy voters of its virtues. Ditto Todd Haynes’ purposely campy, but probing, “May/December.”

So, which upcoming fall titles might make a dent in the Best Picture race? Maybe Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro,” Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla,” Michael Mann’s “Ferrari,” Emerald Fennell’s “Saltburn,” Alexander Payne’s “The Holdovers,” Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Boy and the Heron” and David Fincher’s “The Killer.”

Fennell’s film comes with a hefty amount of buzz after this past Spring’s immensely well-received test screenings. Mann’s film also test-screened, but to less effective test scores, which is why the NYFF selection bewildered me, a bit. Ditto Cooper’s biopic, which had reshoots and has had different cuts screened in the last few months.

Then there’s the non-festival films such as Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon” and “Dune: Chapter Two,” both of which could potentially be delayed due to the ongoing actors strike.

My 07.28.23 rankings:

1. Killers of the Flower Moon
2. Oppenheimer
3. Past Lives
4. Barbie
5. Saltburn
6. The Holdovers
7. Air
8. Anatomy of a Fall
9. Maestro
10. Across the Spider-Verse