{"id":3938,"date":"2024-02-05T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-05T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.cortland.edu\/dragon-chronicle\/?p=3938"},"modified":"2024-02-04T12:52:21","modified_gmt":"2024-02-04T17:52:21","slug":"a-guide-to-the-96th-academy-awards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.cortland.edu\/dragon-chronicle\/2024\/02\/05\/a-guide-to-the-96th-academy-awards\/","title":{"rendered":"A Guide to the 96th Academy Awards"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Just one month ahead of the 96th annual Academy Awards, aka The Oscars, here\u2019s a guide to the best films that came out of 2023 by a self-proclaimed cinephile.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s that time of the year again \u2013 the Oscars are here! With everything from intense dramas to movies inspired by plastic dolls up for awards, it’s going to be a wild ride. But don’t worry if you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the nominees or wondering who the hell Yorgos Lanthimos is; I’ve got you covered. As a film student who spends way too much time watching movies, I’m here to give you the lowdown on the best films of 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year was a huge year for the film industry, and with the summer\u2019s Barbenheimer <\/em>collectively making over $2 billion, theatrical releases are back in full swing. Streaming is also on the rise, producing many of last year’s most popular films. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without further ado, here are the top movies from last year. Whether they have scored a nomination or not, they are all winners in my heart.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I Cried While Watching These<\/em>
The Holdovers<\/strong>
The Iron Claw<\/strong>
Are You There God? It\u2019s Me, Margaret<\/strong>
Barbie <\/strong>(I only teared up a little bit)
Past Lives<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everything in this category, even if the movie wasn\u2019t particularly sad, made me cry at least a little. The Holdovers <\/em>is like Dead Poets Society’s <\/em>slightly less depressed younger cousin. Zac Efron and Jeremy Allen White shocked the world with their roles in The Iron Claw, <\/em>and Efron was even the people\u2019s choice for an Oscar nomination. Unfortunately, he didn\u2019t get one, but I would\u2019ve loved to see it happen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are You There God? It\u2019s Me, Margaret <\/em>is one of the best coming-of-age movies I\u2019ve seen come out in recent years, with the story expertly portraying girlhood. Rachel McAdams\u2019 performance is a stand-out of her career, along with upcoming Abby Ryder Fortson playing McAdams\u2019 daughter.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greta Gerwig\u2019s Barbie <\/em>was another excellent portrayal of girlhood from 2023. There are ten thousand things I could say about this movie, but I\u2019ll keep it brief; Greta Gerwig deserved a spot in the Best Director category. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, we have Past Lives, <\/em>one of the most heartbreaking movies I\u2019ve ever watched. I don\u2019t want to spoil anything, but if you\u2019re just looking for a nice romance, do not watch this movie.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ridiculous Comedies<\/em>
Theater Camp<\/strong>
Bottoms<\/strong>
Please Don\u2019t Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain<\/strong>
No Hard Feelings<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These were some of the funniest movies I\u2019ve seen. 2023 was definitely the year comedy was revived. SNL\u2019s <\/em>resident trio Please Don\u2019t Destroy produced an absolutely ridiculous adventure movie The Treasure of Foggy Mountain. <\/em>The three went on a treasure hunt they heard about when they were children, picking up random antagonists and even Bowen Yang along the way. If you\u2019re not afraid to cringe a little bit, this movie is for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No Hard Feelings<\/em> is arguably Jennifer Lawrence\u2019s best comedic work. The movie follows an outrageous story of a desperate woman agreeing to date a wealthy couple’s introverted and awkward 19-year-old son. With Lawrence, alongside co-star (and Broadway alum) Andrew Barth Feldman\u2019s beautiful singing voice, No Hard Feelings <\/em>was the best romantic comedy of the year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of Broadway alums, Theater Camp <\/em>is Ben Platt\u2019s mockumentary surrounding an underfunded theater camp in Upstate New York as they band together with the founder’s son to keep the camp afloat. Platt, along with fiancee Noah Galvin, Molly Gordon, and Nick Lieberman wrote an exceptionally entertaining film with songs I still find myself listening to months after watching. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if I\u2019m speaking of 2023 comedy, I can\u2019t leave out Bottoms. <\/em>The film follows two high school senior girls (Ayo Edebiri and Rachel Sennott) who set up a fight club as a way to hook up with cheerleaders. Writer and Director Emma Seligman described her satirical film as a “campy queer high school comedy in the vein of Wet Hot American Summer<\/em> but more for a Gen-Z queer audience.\u201d After watching, I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll agree with Seligman’s description.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Couldn\u2019t Tear My Eyes From The Screen<\/em>
Poor Things<\/strong>
Oppenheimer<\/strong>
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes<\/strong>
May December\u00a0<\/strong>
All of Us Strangers\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mostly drama, these movies were all so captivating I literally couldn\u2019t stop watching. Poor Things <\/em>and Oppenheimer <\/em>are both up for Best Picture and totally deserve it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emma Stone, as always, stole the show with her performance in Poor Things. <\/em>She has some tough competition in the Best Actress category, but I really hope she wins. The comedy follows Stone, portraying Bella Baxter, who is resurrected by a scientist following her suicide and embarks on an odyssey of self-discovery and sexual liberation. The Frankenstein-esque tale is a must-watch for anyone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moving on, I enjoyed Oppenheimer <\/em>enough that I watched it twice, which is saying a lot since it\u2019s three hours long. Cillian Murphy gives a brilliant performance and is definitely the front-runner in the Best Actor category.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes <\/em>is a prologue to The Hunger Games <\/em>trilogy. If you were a fan of the iconic movies back in 2015, this is a must-watch. Rachel Zegler shines with her performance, coming straight off the sets for Steven Spielberg\u2019s West Side Story <\/em>and the new live-action Snow White<\/em>. The story perfectly sets up the world of Panem, being one of the best prologue films I\u2019ve seen.\u00a0Distributed by Netflix, May December <\/em>saw an uprising from fans hoping to score Charles Melton an Oscar nomination. He didn\u2019t end up getting a bid, but this film has solidified his place as an amazing actor after a few doubts from his time on Riverdale.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Honorable Mentions<\/em>
Saltburn\u00a0<\/strong>
Wonka<\/strong>
Rye Lane<\/strong>
Killers of The Flower Moon<\/strong>
*Disclaimer: I enjoyed each of these movies! I promise I am not knocking the brilliance of Martin Scorsese or questioning Barry Keoghan’s improvisations*<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In summary, the films of 2023 showcased a diverse range of genres and storytelling that captivated audiences worldwide. From heartfelt dramas to uproarious comedies, each movie left its own unique imprint on the cinematic landscape. As we eagerly await the Oscars, check out a few films you didn’t get a chance to see. Make sure to catch the show on March 10, 2024, at 7:00\u202fPM EDT on ABC.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Just one month ahead of the 96th annual Academy Awards, aka The Oscars, here\u2019s a guide to the best films that came out of 2023 by a self-proclaimed cinephile.\u00a0 It’s that time of the year again \u2013 the Oscars are here! With everything from intense dramas to movies inspired by plastic dolls up for awards, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":286,"featured_media":3941,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-3938","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-opinions","8":"entry"},"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/sites.cortland.edu\/dragon-chronicle\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2024\/02\/1600x900-Q90_781fc2f80be49cede0f4670b99f5f99e-e1707174933406.jpg","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/sites.cortland.edu\/dragon-chronicle\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2024\/02\/1600x900-Q90_781fc2f80be49cede0f4670b99f5f99e-e1707174933406.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Cecile Lessard","author_link":"https:\/\/sites.cortland.edu\/dragon-chronicle\/author\/cecile-lessard\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.cortland.edu\/dragon-chronicle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3938","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.cortland.edu\/dragon-chronicle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.cortland.edu\/dragon-chronicle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.cortland.edu\/dragon-chronicle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/286"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.cortland.edu\/dragon-chronicle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3938"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sites.cortland.edu\/dragon-chronicle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3938\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.cortland.edu\/dragon-chronicle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3941"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.cortland.edu\/dragon-chronicle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3938"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.cortland.edu\/dragon-chronicle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3938"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.cortland.edu\/dragon-chronicle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3938"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}