The 95th Oscar Short List

[anonymous1980]

Retrograde (Matthew Heineman) 7/10 - This is a documentary that chronicles the final days of U.S. troops in Afghanistan as seen through the eyes of General Khoshai Sadat, a high-ranking official of the Afghan army who are dedicated to fighting the Taliban. The film does not really say anything we don't already know or what most people were already aware of about Afghanistan (we know it's a U.S. government screw-up, we know the Taliban is bad, etc.). So there's nothing groundbreaking in that way. Until the final minutes where the film really has most of its impact. I won't spoil it but you can see what the general was fighting for in those final minutes. It lifts up the whole film and it's the one that you will remember about it and in my book, makes it worth a look.

Can it get in? In a race this competitive, I would be surprised if it did.

[anonymous1980]

I will review all the short-listed international and documentary features here.

The Quiet Girl, Ireland (Colm Bairéad) 7.5/10 - An introverted nine-year-old girl, neglected by her impoverished and large family, is sent to live with a middle-aged couple who are distant relatives while her mother gives birth. About a twenty minutes into this slow burn drama, I actually knew exactly where the story is going (yes, I know it's based on a book but I haven't read the said book). That said, when that ending comes, it really packs a punch. The performances of the actors are also quite lovely. Even though this drama doesn't really break new ground, it's still a very heartfelt, very well-made piece of work that will get you fighting back tears in the end (which I did).

Can it get in? Yes. Man, that ending.

[dws1982]

Hidden Letters is available as a purchase/rental on all of the typical VOD sites, at least in the US, anonymous.

[mlrg]

The Lone Wolf - YouTube
[/b]

This is a short film made in Portugal and my country's best chance to receive it's first oscar nomination ever.

The director is a young musician and filmmaker, part of a small group of highly talented generation of intellectuals.

Fingers crossed!

[anonymous1980]

So once again, I decided to post this handy guide on where you can catch up on the Documentary, International Feature and Short finalists before the nominations are announced. Please do let me know if I miss anything.

Documentary Feature:

All That Breathes
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
Bad Axe - VOD
Children of the Mist
Descendant -Netflix
Fire of Love - Disney+
Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song -VOD
Hidden Letters - VOD (US only)
A House Made of Splinters
The Janes - HBO Max
Last Flight Home - Paramount+
Moonage Daydream - VOD
Navalny - HBO Max (US) and HBO Go (Asia)
Retrograde - Disney+
The Territory - Disney+


Documentary Short:

American Justice on Trial: People v. Newton
Anastasia - Paramount+
Angola Do You Hear Us? Voices from a Plantation Prison - Paramount+
As Far as They Can Run - Paramount+
The Elephant Whisperers - Netflix
The Flagmakers - Disney+
Happiness Is £4 Million - PBS
Haulout - The New Yorker's YouTube
Holding Moses - The New Yorker's YouTube
How Do You Measure a Year?
The Martha Mitchell Effect - Netflix
Nuisance Bear - The New Yorker's YouTube
Shut Up and Paint - YouTube
Stranger at the Gate - The New Yorker's YouTube
38 at the Garden - HBO Max

International Feature:

Argentina, Argentina, 1985 - Prime Video
Austria, Corsage
Belgium, Close
Cambodia, Return to Seoul
Denmark, Holy Spider
France, Saint Omer
Germany, All Quiet on the Western Front - Netflix
India, Last Film Show
Ireland, The Quiet Girl - VOD (UK only)
Mexico, Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths - Netflix
Morocco, The Blue Caftan
Pakistan, Joyland
Poland, EO
South Korea, Decision to Leave - MUBI (US only)
Sweden, Cairo Conspiracy

Animated Short:

Black Slide - The New Yorker's YouTube
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse - AppleTV+
The Debutante
The Flying Sailor - The New Yorker's YouTube
The Garbage Man - The New Yorker's YouTube (US only)
Ice Merchants
It’s Nice in Here
More than I Want to Remember - Paramount+
My Year of Dicks - Vimeo
New Moon
An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It
Passenger
Save Ralph - Youtube
Sierra - The Criterion Channel
Steakhouse - YouTube

Live-Action Short:

All in Favor
Almost Home
An Irish Goodbye
Ivalu
Le Pupille - Disney+
The Lone Wolf - YouTube
Nakam
Night Ride - The New Yorker YouTube (US only)
Plastic Killer
The Red Suitcase
The Right Words
Sideral
The Treatment
Tula
Warsha - The Criterion Channel

[Reza]

Wow, Pakistan got in with Joyland in the International Feature category. First time this has happened. It actually deserves to get into the top 5 but it all depends how the producers promote it in L.A. and N.Y.

The director/producer of both our previous documentary short subject winning films heavily promoted her films in the United States.

[anonymous1980]

Documentary Feature:

All That Breathes
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
Bad Axe
Children of the Mist
Descendant
Fire of Love
Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song
Hidden Letters
A House Made of Splinters
The Janes
Last Flight Home
Moonage Daydream
Navalny
Retrograde
The Territory


Documentary Short:

American Justice on Trial: People v. Newton
Anastasia
Angola Do You Hear Us? Voices from a Plantation Prison
As Far as They Can Run
The Elephant Whisperers
The Flagmakers
Happiness Is £4 Million
Haulout
Holding Moses
How Do You Measure a Year?
The Martha Mitchell Effect
Nuisance Bear
Shut Up and Paint
Stranger at the Gate
38 at the Garden

International Feature:

Argentina, Argentina, 1985
Austria, Corsage
Belgium, Close
Cambodia, Return to Seoul
Denmark, Holy Spider
France, Saint Omer
Germany, All Quiet on the Western Front
India, Last Film Show
Ireland, The Quiet Girl
Mexico, Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths
Morocco, The Blue Caftan
Pakistan, Joyland
Poland, EO
South Korea, Decision to Leave
Sweden, Cairo Conspiracy

Makeup and Hairstyling

All Quiet on the Western Front
Amsterdam
Babylon
The Batman
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Blonde
Crimes of the Future
Elvis
Emancipation
The Whale

Original Score:

All Quiet on the Western Front
Avatar: The Way of Water
Babylon
The Banshees of Inisherin
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Devotion
Don't Worry Darling
Everything Everywhere All at Once
The Fabelmans
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Nope
She Said
The Woman King
Women Talking

Original Song:

"Time" from Amsterdam
"Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength)" from Avatar: The Way of Water
"Lift Me Up" from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
"This Is A Life" from Everything Everywhere All at Once
"Ciao Papa" from Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
"Til You’re Home" from A Man Called Otto
"Naatu Naatu" from RRR
"My Mind & Me" from Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me
"Good Afternoon" from Spirited
"Applause" from Tell It like a Woman
"Stand Up" from Till
"Hold My Hand" from Top Gun: Maverick
"Dust & Ash" from The Voice of Dust and Ash
"Carolina" from Where the Crawdads Sing
"New Body Rhumba" from White Noise

Animated Short:

Black Slide
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
The Debutante
The Flying Sailor
The Garbage Man
Ice Merchants
It’s Nice in Here
More than I Want to Remember
My Year of Dicks
New Moon
An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It
Passenger
Save Ralph
Sierra
Steakhouse

Live-Action Short:

All in Favor
Almost Home
An Irish Goodbye
Ivalu
Le Pupille
The Lone Wolf
Nakam
Night Ride
Plastic Killer
The Red Suitcase
The Right Words
Sideral
The Treatment
Tula
Warsha

Sound:

All Quiet on the Western Front
Avatar: The Way of Water
Babylon
The Batman
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Elvis
Everything Everywhere All at Once
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Moonage Daydream
Top Gun: Maverick

Visual Effects:

All Quiet on the Western Front
Avatar: The Way of Water
The Batman
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
Jurassic World Dominion
Nope
Thirteen Lives
Top Gun: Maverick