As each year comes to a close, the debates about film begin once again. Who will win what Oscar? Who deserves to be nominated? Who doesn’t? And who got snubbed? The 2019 Oscars were a fairly strong one, cited by some as the best movies of the decade, and they were also historic, as a foreign language film took home Best Picture for the first time ever. 

Let’s start with the snubs before we dive into anything else. The movies that came out this year that should have at least earned a Best Picture nomination (although only 9 were awarded to the possible 10) were the Safdie Brothers’ Uncut Gems, starring Adam Sandler, and Robert Eggers’ The Lighthouse, starring Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson. These two movies were exemplary and should have been considered, though it does not appear as though the Academy wants to recognize the Safdie Brothers anytime soon (especially after their excellent film Good Time did not win any Oscars). Now to the Best Picture nominees (in ranked order).

1. Parasite– Bong Joon-Ho (5/5)
   1. The South Korean film that swept the country was truly a master class in script and intensity, in a way that many movies are not. There was not a moment in the film where the viewer felt like they knew what was going to happen next, and that is truly a groundbreaking feat. There was something about this movie that made me come out thinking, “What did I just watch?” Overall, a wholly fantastic film with great performances all around.
2. Little Women- Greta Gerwig (5/5)
   1. Based on Louisa May Alcott’s book of the same title, Gerwig really catches fire with this Civil War era piece starring a soon-to-be iconic American duo in Timothee Chalamet and Saoirse Ronan. This functions as a coming-of-age film, a war film, and a meditation on death all at the same time, and it really does it right. Beautifully shot, with excellent costuming, this may seem like a cheesy film about girls growing up in the 1800s, but it really is much more than that. 
3. Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood
   1. The 9th film by the ever-controversial Tarantino is a feet-infused riot. A comically long slow burn where you should know the ending, but Tarantino flips it on its head. Carried by fantastic performances by Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, this movie does not take its foot off the convertible’s gas pedal once. A quasi-historical piece based around the Manson murders, Tarantino really grabs something he has not before, and that is a perfect fusion of drama and comedy.
4. Marriage Story– Noah Baumbach (4.5/5)
   1. An emotional film about a divorce does not seem to be one that would normally be at the top of the Academy’s minds (especially one released on Netflix), but this movie really handles the topic and subject matter well. Driver and Johansson deliver astoundingly good performances, and it is held even further up by its supporting cast of Laura Dern, Alan Alda, and Ray Liota. A very hard watch, but a very worth it one.
5. Joker– Todd Phillpps (4.5/5)
   1. Yet another controversial film, one that was surrounded by a mystique before it was even released, Phillips and his star Phoenix really bring home something true about the American experience in the world’s largest cities, and the many different twists and turns make it a truly wild ride, but one that is worth jumping on and never jumping off. Joaquin Phoenix truly shows himself as a character on the brink in this movie, and the score props it up even further.
6. Jojo Rabbit– Taika Watiti (4.5/5)
   1. Yet another another controversial film, focused on a young German boy’s relationship first with his imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler, and then a young Jewish girl hiding in his attic. This movie is extremely touching, and seeing a 10 year-old being converted from Nazism to love is truly a sight to behold. Watiti does fantastic as Hitler (though perhaps a bit overdone), but the real star of the supporting cast is Sam Rockwell, who plays a supportive Nazi officer. Overall, a very enjoyable and eventually uplifting movie that really makes one feel as though there is hope after all.
7. The Irishman– Martin Scorsese (4.5/5)
   1. Scorsese’s three and a half hour long epic is truly a sight to behold, and for those wondering if they should champ through it, I say yes. Not a single second is wasted by Scorsese and his star-studded cast of De Niro, Pacino, and Pesci. Yes, the de-aging looks a little bit cheesy at times, but it really is an epic, and like an epic should it be consumed. Scorsese proves that he’s still got it in this mob-focused “biopic” of a mafia killer in the 40s and 50s.
8. Ford v. Ferrari– James Mangold (⅗)
   1. This is where the split in the Best Picture nominees really comes about, as this film, starring Matt Damon and Christian Bale, two fantastic actors, really seems to fail. There is too much focus on “racing” and not really anything else. I am absolutely astounded this received a Best Picture nod, as it really is not that good of a movie. Seeing the cars is cool, but I can only watch the same race scene so many times.
9. 1917– Sam Mendes (2.5/5)
   1. This movie was completely held up by the fact it was recorded in one shot (by the excellent Roger Deakins). There is not much plot, not really any characters, and more importantly, nothing happens. You sit there at the end and you think to yourself, “why did I just watch that for 2 hours?” The plot is extremely predictable, the actors extremely uncommitted, and the characters extremely bland. Not worth watching unless you really are a “film” buff.