This is a compelling mix of mainstream (epic immigrant artist story; Catholic Church controversy; high budget sci-fi; yet another Dylan movie), tough docudrama (evil dictatorship; abusive racist school), fun (witches who be bitches; sex worker makes good), and WTF!!! (The Substance, Emilia Perez).​

I still think Sing Sing and A Different Man could've replaced a couple of these, but there is no real favorite. And I'd watch 8 of these 10 (plus those 2 snubs) again.

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• Anora

  • This was quite unexpected. I try to go into these movies with as little preview as possible. (This lesson was learned, permanently, when I finally saw Hamilton the musical. Unlike my kids, I did not memorize the music in advance. I found the experience to be overwhelming because, while I heard it was "amazing" repeatedly, I was surprised by the depth of the artistry and humour). Mikey Madison was delightful as the titular character. There is a bit of a Breaking Bad vortex, but the humour makes it an easy ride. In a toss-up year, this is my choice.

• The Brutalist

  • This is part "Fountainhead" (with no apologies to Ayn Rand -- she wouldn't want it), part "Network" (as it relates to capitalism) and part "it's tough to be an immigrant". The acting is fantastic and the design is unique. I rail against people who complain about the length of movies, but this one was too long, even for my remorseless-eating-popcorn-machine ass.
  • An amusing side story: the lead character is Lazlo Toth. I thought I knew that name from history (he is entirely fictional). There is a Lazlo Toth from infamy: he was the guy who defaced Michaelangelo's Pietà in 1972. But the name that I remembered was from a book written by the comedian Don Novello (who played Father Guido Sarducci on SNL). My best friend and I saw this book (The Lazlo Letters) in the bookstore and had to have it. Having only paper-route earnings, we decided to split the book and take turns having it at home. Somehow, we were unable to keep up with this deal and my buddy had it in his possession for a couple of decades (just about the length of this movie).

• A Complete Unknown

  • Yet another Dylan biopic. Highly entertaining, though. There is much more music than you'd expect, even for a movie about musicians. This is a very positive thing. The director took one liberty I didn't appreciate (the crowd at the Newport Folk Festival were not booing and throwing bottles at the stage because "Dylan went electric". They felt gypped when he played three songs and left the stage. Hell, I saw Dan Fogelberg play for 3 hours and we all booed when he left without playing Same Old Lang Syne). I don't see this as a Best Pic, but I will likely watch it again before I pass.

• Conclave

  • I am sure my interest in this was heightened by years of being an altar boy, church organist and clip-on-tie Catholic school automaton. Having parted ways with the church years ago. I realize I have an unhealthy interest in "church does bad". But this is more of a political thriller. Tremendous acting all the way around and great story telling. I would be perfectly happy if this won.​​

• Dune: Part Two

  • All of my carping about "it's an episode" aside, this is a good movie. I am a huge Duney (copyright, EdMuldoon, 2025). I gave a copy of Frank Herbert's book to my first girlfriend's mother, who was a voracious reader. The fact that she read serious fiction and romance novels was not enough of a clue for me to know she'd never crack it open. Then I sat through the horrible David Lynch production in 1984 (with Sting's cringy line "I will kill him!" I feel I'm being tortured having this meted out in 3 installments, but it is so satisfying to see it done correctly. But this is The Two Towers of the LotR series -- a good movie, but an installment.

• Emilia Pérez

  • Where to begin with this one. Back to my "no prior knowledge" approach, I was shocked by the twist early in the movie. I did not know it was a musical (still don't think it really is). But the concept of a [SPOILER -- come on, you've already seen it, or you're NEVER watching it] cartel kingpin transitioning to a woman is a great plot. She comes back into her family's life because she misses her children, by posing as their aunt. Yep, there's a big Mrs. Doubtfire vibe (Sra. Duda Fuego?) Yes, it was made in France about Mexico, directed by a white man. But it was still good storytelling. Sorry if you feel it got "trans life" wrong. I don't think it should be judged as a PSA. It is a story told in film. I enjoyed it. 

• I'm Still Here

  • The second movie of 2024 nominated for International Picture and Best Picture. The backstory (the coup that led to a dictatorship in Brazil in the early '70s) was unknown to me. The acting made this a wonderful film. The family's attempt to stay together and live happy lives after their father goes missing is inspiring. And I got the satisfying pictures (and video) of the real family at the end of the film, unlike:​​

• Nickel Boys

  • The story of the Dozier school, where young black men were abused and many murdered and left in unmarked graves. A lot of the filming is done from one of the character's perspectives. It was a bold artistic choice that I found distracting. (In an important scene, Elwood (Ethan Herisse) hitchhikes on his way to college. The driver is pulled out of the car by the police and we see Elwood's feet and the floor mats as he tries to stay out of the law's view. This technique is repeated in various ways, to the movie's detriment. I also felt unsatisfied that there was no docudrama text explaining what happened in the aftermath of the discovery of the unmarked graves. Again, a bold choice, but I needed a couple of dimes and was left with a nickel.  (Oh, come on -- you didn't see that coming?!?)

• The Substance

  • This was a bizarre, entertaining and touching movie. You have to have an appreciation for camp (intentional -- as it is here -- or unintentional, as in Mommy Dearest). Demi Moore is brilliant as a Jane Fonda-style exercise star. She loses her job when her boss, played by an over-the-top misogynistic Dennis Quaid, decides he needs someone younger. The substance is a mysterious treatment that allows her to have a younger version of herself, but only 7 days at a time. More bad things happen than arguing about who gets the good holidays. Act III has some monstrous effects (think John Carpenter's The Thing) that are horrifying, but also hilarious. Definitely worth a look. I will have a second one before I'm done.

• Wicked

  • I am wary of successful musicals that go to film. I was burned by Phantom. I learned enough not to watch Cats (yay, me). This is more in line with West Side Story, albeit not at that level in either venue. Cynthia Erivo delivered exactly what we hoped -- brilliant singing, believable acting. Ariana Grande exceeded expectations, particularly following Kristen Chenowith's Tony-nominated performance. If you haven't seen the musical (really?), you will love this Oz backstory. If you have, you will still be pleased. You my Witches!