Cover 'Avatar: The Way of Water' is nominated this year for Best Picture (Photo: @avatar/Instagram)
'Avatar: The Way of Water' is nominated this year for Best Picture (Photo: @avatar/Instagram)
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The Tatler editors speak up about the movies they don't think should have won the Oscar for Best Picture
A total of 10 movies are nominated for Best Picture in this year's Oscars race. They range from box-office smashes Top Gun: Maverick and Avatar: The Way of Water to indie darlings Everything Everywhere All at Once (the year's most nominated film with 11 nominations) and Tár.
Indeed, this year's list is a pretty good mix, something for everyone. I can't think of a movie that should have been nominated but isn't—although to be honest, I haven't really been able to tick off many on my viewing bucket list. I've yet to catch Decision to Leave, the South Korean thriller that was one of the most beloved films by critics. Nor have I clicked play yet on Jordan Peele's Nope and The Woman King. That said, I'm a little disappointed that Good Luck to You Leo Grande didn't get more attention despite a fantastic performance by lead Emma Thompson.
Read more: Oscar nominee Michelle Yeoh is killing it on the red carpet
Naturally, the film buffs within the Tatler team have their favourites to win at the Oscars this year, but what are the movies that won before that we feel should not have? Let us speak now.
'Spotlight' (won in 2016)
The winner, Spotlight, was a powerful film about how a team of journalists uncovered the widespread abuse of children and subsequent cover-up by Roman Catholic priests in Boston with phenomenal performances, particularly by Mark Ruffalo. Deserving of its award for Best Original Screenplay, Spotlight's approach to faith, loss of innocence and systemic corruption struck the perfect balance between quiet devastation and thrilling urgency, embodied by fellow nominees, Room and The Big Short respectively. But as a whole, it is better regarded as a strong addition to the genre, alongside All The President's Men (1976) and The Post (2017).
See also: SAG Awards 2023: ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ sweeps four awards
Mad Max: Fury Road deserved to win Best Picture because it presented a wholly unique cinematic experience that raised the bar for the entire action genre. Every aspect, from performance and camera work to sound design, editing and stunt work, came together to not only add to George Miller's post-apocalyptic world but to also further the plot—an impressive feat considering the sparse dialogue. The film immersed the audience in a way that relied on their intelligence to decipher complex themes, whether it's related to women, depletion and hoarding of resources, or survival under totalitarianism, without losing its breakneck, explosive pace. It remains one of the only reboots worth anyone's time today.
- Zue Wei Leong, digital writer
'Birdman' (won in 2015)
Above Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, winner of Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Motion Picture, for 'Birdman' (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, winner of Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Motion Picture, for 'Birdman' (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
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I just remember being unable to sit through Birdman; maybe the humour just went over my head. To top it off, Wes Anderson's brilliant The Grand Budapest Hotel lost out to it that year.
- Aaron Pereira, deputy editor
'Shakespeare in Love' (won in 1999)
Above Harrison Ford presenting the Best Picture award to 'Shakespeare in Love'
Saving Private Ryan, directed by Steven Spielberg, is a powerful and epic war drama that depicts the horrors and sacrifices of World War II. Widely acclaimed by critics and moviegoers for its filmmaking excellence, stunning cinematography, realistic battle scenes, and gripping storyline that draws the viewer in from the start of the movie.
Shakespeare in Love, on the other hand, is a romantic comedy-drama set in Elizabethan England that features a fictionalised love story involving William Shakespeare. While it is an enjoyable and well-made film, it is generally regarded as lighter fare than Saving Private Ryan and many felt that it lacked Spielberg's emotional depth and impact.
To this day, the decision to award Shakespeare in Love Best Picture over Saving Private Ryan remains controversial and divisive. While both films were well-made, many believe that Saving Private Ryan deserved to win the Oscar for its ambitious and moving depiction of one of the 20th century's defining events.
- Lynette Ow, editor-in-chief
'Crash' (won in 2006)
Above Jack Nicholson presenting Best Picture award to 'Crash' at Oscars 2006
While Paul Haggis' drama about race tensions in Los Angeles is engaging enough with a solid ensemble cast performance, Crash is a pale comparison to Brokeback Mountain, Ang Lee's beautifully affecting adaptation of Annie Prouxl's short story. A (then) groundbreaking gay romance for mainstream cinema starring two major Hollywood stars, the pacing is languid as it travels through the different times in the protagonists' lives but it never once feels dull.
Lee has a wonderful grasp on the story and the characters, aided by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal's compelling performances. The dialogue-less one-minute-long final scene is absolutely heartbreaking. Its loss to Crash is criminal, and has gone down as one of the most controversial in Oscar history, so much so that when The Hollywood Reporter polled Academy members and asked them to recast their ballots in 2015, Brokeback Mountain emerged the winner.
- Brian Cheong, digital editor
Brian Cheong leads the watch (Tatler GMT) and jewellery content at Tatler Malaysia, combining sharp editorial insight with years of luxury lifestyle experience. A seasoned journalist in luxury watches based in Kuala Lumpur, Brian had previously helmed World of Watches, Men's Folio and Prestige Malaysia.
