Pax on both houses: The New Yorker: Reviewing This Year's Oscar Nominees

Thursday, January 16, 2014

The New Yorker: Reviewing This Year's Oscar Nominees

The Oscar nominations were announced this morning, by Thor , in Los Angeles, with “American Hustle” and “Gravity” each garnering ten nominations. “12 Years a Slave” received nine, including a nod for the director Steve McQueen. Notable snubs include Oprah Winfrey for her role in “Lee Daniels’ The Butler,” Emma Thompson, Robert Redford, Tom Hanks, and no Best Picture honors for “Inside Llewyn Davis.” Here’s a look at our coverage of the nine Best Picture nominees that did make the cut. Check back later for a reaction from Richard Brody.

HOW GOOD ARE THE OSCARS’ BEST PICTURE NOMINEES?

1 of 9

“The Wolf of Wall Street”

David Denby criticized Martin Scorsese’s film for having a “bullying tone” that was “relentless, deafening, deadening, and, finally, unilluminating.” Richard Brodydisagreed, praising the film as an “exuberant, hyper-energized riot,” and analyzedthe critical outcry against it. Rachel Syme compared the film’s cynical take on the self-made man to the more hopeful tone of “The Great Gatsby.” (“The film has a black heart where a green light should be.”)
“12 Years a Slave”

David Denby reviewed the film in the magazine, calling it the “greatest feature film ever made about American slavery.” Richard Brody wrote on the ethics of depicting slavery in film, and Amy Davidson explained why the character Patsey, an indomitable female slave, is the real hero of the movie.
“American Hustle”

In his review, David Denby argued that David O. Russell’s “overripe comedy” is as great a cinematic achievement as the year’s more “serious” films. Richard Brody offered some praise for the film’s storytelling, and James Surowiecki, drawing on “American Hustle” and “The Wolf of Wall Street,” wrote aboutAmericans’ “soft spot” for con artists.
“Gravity”

In his review for the magazine (available to subscribers), David Denby wrote that Alfonso Cuarón’s “frightening and beautiful space thriller” presented “an overwhelming physical experience—a challenge to the senses that engages every kind of dread.” Richard Brody also found the film “viscerally thrilling,” but took issue with the “near-absolute absence of inner life” in its characters.
“Nebraska”

David Denby reviewed the film, comparing it to “a Beckett play without the metaphysical unease, the flickering blasphemies and revelations.” In a Profile(available to subscribers) of Alexander Payne, the film’s director, in our October 28th issue, Margaret Talbot explored the filmmaker’s relationship with his home state of Nebraska, the setting of four of his films.
“Her”

Anthony Lane called this futuristic story of a man falling in love with a computer “potent.” He wrote, “We are informed, cosseted, and entertained, and yet we are never more than a breath away from being creeped out.” Richard Brody felt that the film “is a cautionary tale that offers warning where none is needed.” Christine Smallwood argued that the film is “not really about smartphones” but about the fantasies that sustain all relationships. Brian Christian wrote about our real-life attachments to non-human entities.
“Philomena”

In his review of this “deft and brisk” film (available to subscribers), Anthony Lane wrote that “what could be a plain tale—and is in danger of becoming a sappy one—grows surprisingly inward and dense.”
“Dallas Buyers Club”

David Denby’s review (available to subscribers) focussed on the “abrupt and startling” transformation of Matthew McConaughey, whose “strikingly intelligent” performance “drives the movie forward the way Julia Roberts propelled ‘Erin Brockovich.’ ”
“Captain Phillips”

Anthony Lane wrote that this high-seas action film brings up “the old Hollywood conundrum: How does a left-wing conscience find room to maneuver in a right-wing form?”