Every Best Picture Nominee of the 2010's Ranked: #45-49

Scene from The Tree of Life

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.

What is Your Favorite 21st Century Movie?

Scene from Mulholland Drive

The century may only be 16 years deep, but it never feels like the wrong time to ask one simple question: what is the best film of the century? Considering that the 20th is a pretty tough nut to crack in itself, looking at the modern masterpieces as they happen is even more difficult. The BBC decided to hold a poll where they asked critics to name their favorites. To say the least, it didn't go in any conventional way - or at least any that makes sense if you're an Oscar fan. Very few of them are Oscar-nominated films. With director David Lynch's Mulholland Drive topping the list, the question is pretty easy, and one that I want to pose to the reader: What is your favorite 21st century movie so far?

Birthday Take: Terrence Malick in "The Tree of Life" (2011)

Brad Pitt in The Tree of Life

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.

17 Pleasant Surprises on BBC's Greatest American Films

Left to right: Lupita Nyong'o and Chiwetel Ejiofor in 12 Years a Slave

Today marks the release of the latest "Best Movies Ever" list. This time, it comes from BBC Culture and it focuses on the Best American Films (click link for commentary on Top 25). While it features a lot of familiar, obvious choices (Citizen Kane, The Godfather, and Vertigo tops yet another list), the list has its share of surprises both great and bad (omission of most recent films, animated films, and directors). Instead of arguing about every last thing that is wrong with this list (where's Paul Thomas Anderson  and The Coen Brothers?), it does feature a lot of pleasant surprises. The following is a list of films that made the list that you wouldn't expect and definitely should check out ASAP.

Will Malick Get a Best Picture Nomination for "To the Wonder"?

Left to right: Ben Affleck and Rachel McAdams

In 2011, one of the surprise hits of the year was director Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life, which was an epic poem about beauty and life. When it received three Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, it only made the film more prevalent in the culture. Since, he is on a role with three films set to release in 2013 alone. His first venture is To the Wonder, which stars Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, and Javier Bardem. Will this recent spurt of output help to put Malick back into the race, or is The Tree of Life one of those odd exceptions?