Mallard's Top 10 of 2022

Oscar nominations were announced this morning so I'm dropping my top 10 list. Caveat: I haven't seen Tar, The Banshees of Inisherin (not a Martin McDonagh fan but I'll give it a try!), All Quiet on the Western Front, Triangle of Sadness, or Women Talking.

1. Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio- This was nominated for Best Animated Feature and will likely win. It should have been nominated for Best Picture as well. The only animated films to ever be nominated for Best Picture are Beauty and the Beast (1991), Up (2009), and Toy Story 3 (2010), so I think we're due for another animated film being recognized. Why not GDT's stop-motion Pinocchio? The animation and voice acting are excellent, and del Toro continues to cement his legacy with another instant classic. Check out the making-of documentary on Netflix as well.

 

2. Nope- 0 nominations by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Perhaps they didn't see it, because it's outstanding. Jordan Peele is 3 for 3 at this point, and Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer should have been nominated for their performances as well.

3. The Fabelmans- A beautiful film that is rightly being heralded by many. Spielberg could have retired 20 years ago and still be one of the best directors of all time. What a legend. 

4. The Northman- Speaking of directors being 3 for 3, Robert Eggers' The Northman ruled. Outside of 1 nomination for Best Cinematography for The Lighthouse (2019), Eggers' films have been snubbed by the Academy.

5. Babylon- Actually surprised this only got 3 nominations (Production Design, Score, and Costume Design). The Academy historically loves films about Hollywood, and Damien Chazelle's La La Land (2016) was nominated for 14 awards, winning 6 (famously losing to Moonlight in what is now only the second biggest Oscars faux pas in recent memory). Critics agree: the Rotten Tomatoes score for La La Land is 91% vs. Babylon's 56%. Well I guess I'm just not on the same page because I thought La La Land was super overrated and Babylon was awesome. Don't let the gaudy 189 minute (!) runtime scare you away.

6. Elvis- This one really surprised me with how good it was. Austin Butler was excellent and is very deserving of his Best Actor nomination. Baz Luhrman's best since Moulin Rouge! (2001)? I think so.

 

7. Crimes of the Future- 0 nominations for 79-year-old David Cronenberg's latest film, a great one with a stellar cast including longtime collaborator Viggo Mortensen, as well as Lea Seydoux and Kristen Stewart. Loved Cronenberg's vision here and the way he leaned into his body horror roots. I was left wanting more after the 107 minute runtime- Crimes of the Future expanded universe anyone?

8. Avatar: The Way of Water- James Cameron tearing it up at the box office and the Academy Awards once again. Love to see it. Would I like to see him direct a non-Avatar movie again someday? Sure, but I'm also not complaining. A visual spectacle- see it in IMAX 3D or XD 3D if you get the chance.

9. Men- Not Alex Garland's best, but that's still better than most. The climax is quite... memorable. 0 noms, no surprise.

10. The Batman- I could have done without Barry Keoghan's distracting Joker (how many Jokers must we endure?). But overall a solid action flick from director Matt Reeves with one of the best car chases in years. A refreshing contrast to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

As always, here is my #11-20. From top to bottom: Everything Everywhere All At Once, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Bullet Train, Smile, Death on the Nile, Jackass Forever, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, The Bob's Burgers Movie, George Carlin's American Dream, On the Come Up.