Every Best Picture Nominee of the 2010's Ranked: #20-24

Scene from Django Unchained

As 2019 reached its end, another decade of cinema had passed. It's amazing to think about how things have evolved since 2010 when the biggest controversies were about recognizing genre movies. Things look different now, especially as genre films like The Shape of Water and Parasite are winning Best Picture and the voting body looks incredibly different with each passing year. With this period in the books, it feels like a good time to celebrate their accomplishments by ranking all 88 titles nominated for Best Picture from worst to best with the goal of seeing which films are more likely to stand the test of time. Join me every Saturday and Sunday as I count them down, five at a time. It's going to be a fun summer looking back on what was, especially as we prepare for the decade ahead and an even more interesting diversity that we haven't even begun to think of.

Composing Greatness: #11. The Freshman Class of the 2010's - "Jackie" (2016)

Scene from Jackie (2016)

Welcome to Composing Greatness: a column dedicated to exploring the work of film composers. This will specifically focus on the films that earned them Oscar nominations while exploring what makes it so special. This will be broken down into a look at the overall style, interesting moments within the composition, and what made the score worth nominating in the first place. This will also include various subcategories where I will rank the themes of each film along with any time that the composer actually wins. This is a column meant to explore a side of film that doesn't get enough credit while hopefully introducing audiences to an enriched view of more prolific composers' work. This will only cover scores/songs that are compiled in an easily accessible format (so no extended scores will be considered). Join me every Sunday as I cover these talents that if you don't know by name, you recognize by sound.

The First "Vox Lux" Trailer Has Natalie Portman Embracing Pop God Weirdness

Natalie Portman in Vox Lux

This Fall seems to be the perfect time for movies featuring complicated female performers. With A Star is Born dominating the box office and almost assuring Lady Gaga some Oscar glory, it's interesting to note that it's not the only film about singers coming out in the next few months. There is of course the indie film Her Smell, which takes on a more grotesque and disturbing take. Then there's director Brady Corbet's Vox Lux, which finds Oscar winner Natalie Portman returning to the race with a film that's been getting press for its intense portrayal of a celebrity going through a crisis. With the first trailer now upon us, the look into Portman's performance is here and it's a surreal, damaged image that is magnetic. Basically, it's the dark horse that this season could use.

Failed Oscar Campaigns: "Jackie" (2016)

Natalie Portman in Jackie

As awards seasons pick up, so do the campaigns to make your film have the best chances at the Best Picture race. However, like a drunken stupor, sometimes these efforts come off as trying too hard and leave behind a trailer of ridiculous flamboyance. Join me on every other Saturday for a highlight of the failed campaigns that make this season as much about prestige as it does about train wrecks. Come for the Harvey Weinstein comments and stay for the history. It's going to be a fun time as I explore cinema's rich history of attempting to matter.

Natalie Portman, Best Documentary Short Nominees Are Not Attending the Oscars

Natalie Portman in Jackie

Even if there's plenty to look forward to on Oscar Sunday, there will be a few missing faces at the ceremony. A few weeks back, The Salesman's Asghar Farhadi and Taraneh Alidoosti announced that they wouldn't go due to the Muslim Ban. Now there's more names added to the list. While there's plenty related to the the Muslim Ban, there's one particular absence that is brought about for different reasons. Best Actress nominee Natalie Portman (Jackie) has already missed the Spirit Awards and is looking to be staying home tomorrow night as well. Read on to discover which stars won't be on the R.S.V.P. list.

An Appreciation Piece for Mica Levi's "Jackie" Score

Scene from Jackie

There's a lot to love about this year's Best Original Score category. For starters, it is packed with first time nominees (and for some reason Thomas Newman for Passengers). It makes the category far more exciting than normal, and even features a variety of excellent compositions. While it does seem likely that Justin Hurwitz will win for La La Land, I want to give a quick shout out to possibly the biggest surprise nominee of the bunch: Mica Levi (Jackie). Even if I fear that she won't win, I feel that her nomination is an excellent addition to the eclectic scores that normally wouldn't be considered. In fact, it's probably my favorite from the list. 

The First Trailer for "Song to Song" Sees Malick Playing a Familiar Tune

Rooney Mara

It didn't used to be this way. The promise of new Terence Malick seemed to be something that would happen once every decade, or twice if he was feeling inspired. However, the past few years has seen him form a late period creativity that has made for some interesting results. From 2011's The Tree of Life to last year's Knight of Cups, he has managed to make his meditative style grow into more contemporary settings. With is latest Song to Song, he looks to tackle the music scene. It may not look bad, but it looks like what the average later day Malick film looks like these days. Again, it's not a bad thing, but it doesn't provide much confidence either.

Review: "Jackie" Turns a Familiar Moment Into an Original, Heart-Wrenching Drama

Natalie Portman

Throughout history, public leaders have been turned into mythic giants with infallible gifts. They lead their countries through hard times often at the risk of legacy-ruining scrutiny. While time has a habit of only enforcing this mindset more, it does feel important to remember the one truth: they were just humans. Never has that been more apparent in late 20th century American history than on November 22, 1963 when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. It's a moment that history won't let anyone forget, even as it's over 50 years old. Yet there's one side that's often overlooked that was there that day. His wife Jacqueline Kennedy was by his side, but whose story has rarely been given attention. Director Pablo Larrain's Jackie uses this construct to explore more universal themes with a script whose prose reads as a long essay on the grieving process. With poetic language and even more beautiful cinematography, the film sparks with life in one of the most original biopics to come out this past year.

A Look at How Cinema Has Made John F. Kennedy the "Absent President"

Scene from Forrest Gump

What do we mean when we talk about President John F. Kennedy in film? Had the answer applied to any other leader of the free world, the answer would be simple. These were men who lead the country through historical periods and should be honored with a noble retelling of their legacy. But over the past 25 years especially, has there been a president more undermined by cinema's potential than Kennedy? With the recent release of director Pablo Larrain's Jackie, it feels like an important time to analyze why one of the most revered presidents of the late 20th century is largely absent, even in his own filmography. It's not likely because he didn't mean anything, but that he has become symbolic of something greater than his career.

Check Out the Nominees for the 2016 Spirit Awards

Scene from Moonlight

It's that time of year again. With a little over one month of the year to go, awards season has officially launched with its first major awards ceremony. The Film Independent Spirit Awards have officially announced their nominees in all of the categories with major players like Spotlight, Jackie, and Manchester by the Sea coming out strong. The following is a list of every category and its nominees. What do you think of the results? Make sure to leave your thoughts in the comments and be sure to check out the ceremony on February 25: the day before Oscar Sunday. More information will be given as it develops.

The "Jackie" Trailer Adds a Beautiful Sense of Woe to a Tragic Story

Natalie Portman

It seems poignant that with the 2016 American presidential election almost a week old, it's time for the Oscar race to turn to its own political royalty story. Director Pablo Larrain's Jackie has been effectively receiving praise from its various festival appearances and looks to pit Oscar-winner Natalie Portman back into the Best Actress race for her role as Jackie Onassis Kennedy. The teaser produced an electric series of images that if nothing else was beautiful to look at. In the first full trailer, we get to hear Mrs. Kennedy tell her tale of woe and add context to the imagery. The results keep it locked as one of the year's most exciting releases of the Fall season.

The First "Jackie" Trailer is a Beautiful, Somber Look Into the First Lady's Camelot

Natalie Portman in Jackie

There are countless films about American Presidents. It is in telling their stories that cinema is able to understand the country's rich history, especially as conflicts blur between politics and personal desires. With limited exceptions, the First Ladies have often been written out of the picture or at best reduced to a supporting role. It is one of the reasons that director Pablo Larrain's Jackie joins this Oscar season with a vibrant and promising chance. With Natalie Portman starring as former First Lady Jacqueline "Jackie" Kennedy, the film has been receiving acclaim at almost every major film festival and looks to see Portman receiving her first Oscar nomination since 2010's Black Swan. From the looks of the first trailer, it looks like more than a sure thing.

Birthday Take: Natalie Portman in "Black Swan" (2010)

Natalie Portman in Black Swan

Welcome to The Birthday Take, a column dedicated to celebrating Oscar nominees and winners' birthdays by paying tribute to the work that got them noticed. This isn't meant to be an exhaustive retrospective, but more of a highlight of one nominated work that makes them noteworthy. The column will run whenever there is a birthday and will hopefully give a dense exploration of the finest performances and techniques applied to film. So please join me as we blow out the candles and dig into the delicious substance.

Freaky Friday: "Black Swan" (2010)

Natalie Portman in Black Swan

The season is upon us, and it's time to get in the mood for Halloween. Every Friday in October, The Oscar Buzz will be highlighting the films that The Academy recognized that likely chilled you to your bone. While there have been several genres more prevalent than horror, there's been a fair share that have popped up and proven themselves among the more prestigious competition. What is it about these films that stand out? Are they just scary, or is there something more to their charm? Join in the journey of recognizing the award nominated scares that you may or may not have known about.

Malick's Latest "Knight of Cups" Officially Has a 2016 Release Date

Christian Bale

It has been awhile since we last have heard from director Terrence Malick. Following the success of his long awaited The Tree of Life in 2011, it seemed like he was set to enter a period of prolific output. Starting with the 2012 film To the Wonder, he had an impressive amount slated for rapid succession, including Knight of Cups - which also stars Christian Bale and Cate Blanchett. While there has been a pretty good trailer that shows the old school director enjoying the modern era, it has been several months since we have heard any news about the film. Today, there's an official release date for the film that you can put on your calendar and prepare to revisit the awe-inspiring majesty of one of cinema's most unique voices.