West Side Story + Oscars 2022 Picks

 

Gillipedia Official Rating: Much more a retelling than a reimagining

          I watched the original West Side Story back in high school and loved it. Easily a top 5 musical all time for me. To be honest I haven’t watched it since. Which made me all the more excited when I heard that it was in fact Spielberg who would direct this update. I had this film on my radar for awhile… And then I let it pass by even after glowing reviews when it hit theaters. I don’t think the marketing was nearly pronounced enough, but nevertheless, the film is considered a box office flop. But it's now streaming on Disney+ and is one of the most nominated films at the Oscars. So is it good?

          Well…

 

 

          It’s good.

          *cashes in that movie reviewing $$*

          Honestly, I came away feeling like somewhat of an opportunity was missed. Many of the Oscar nods are actually well-deserved, but this isn’t a film completely put together to blow you away—especially when there’s an amazing version already available decades ago.

          West Side Story feels for better and worse like an old-fashioned musical. There are some standout songs and the opening is classic. But my 2 biggest critiques go hand-in-hand: it’s a relatively slow pace, and some of the songs feel more obligatory than actually propelling the plot. Songs in musicals are often used to accentuate the emotions and inner thoughts of a character that simply aren’t possible through normal storytelling. And when this film is 2 hours 40 minutes, if a song doesn’t move the plot forward and doesn’t do much for character building and isn’t the catchiest of tunes, then it drags the film.

          It’s hard to see a film like La La Land come out and pay perfect homage to classic musicals while invigorating exciting contemporary values and not wish this film tried to do more of the same. Heck, even Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights is flawed but still has fun modern touches. It may seem a bit picky of me for a film that takes place in 1950s New York, but I wanted to see more creative liberties taken to differentiate from the original.

          Calling back to how some of the songs didn’t add much value, I have to talk about star Ansel Elgort. We all loved him in Baby Driver, but he wasn’t expressive enough and the best thing he had going for this film is his height. I wasn’t positive it was her, but it is sweet and impressive that the original Maria, Rita Moreno, returned to play Valentina, and Ariana DeBose of Hamilton fame carried the Maria torch with grace. It was fun to see Corey Stoll in the film; you probably know him as the villain from Ant-Man or possibly from one of the best shows ever Billions. Mike Faist has a standout performance as the smug Jets leader, but I have to believe that newcomer Rachel Zegler fit leading role Maria perfectly.

          It is at this point that I have to admit something. I don’t speak Spanish. And it’s an interesting creative choice to have a decent amount of the Shark’s conversations take place in Spanish without subtitles. It adds a layer of authenticity, but there were large enough chunks that made me feel like I lost a bit of what was said without having context, or subtitles.

          I was happy to see Spielberg nominated for directing, and for the costumes to be recognized as well. How the Jets are in a faded blue and the Sharks in reds and sometimes yellow, and then Tony and Maria frequently blend the two in purple either in their clothes or the basking light is a nice touch. There’s cinematic prowess at times and it’s where the biggest creative differences take shape. When you have large sets and many people dancing in the great costumes is when the movie shines brightest. West Side Story is enough of a classic to hold up, and having Spielberg and performances like Zegler’s adds dimensions to what could be a legitimate reason to update this film; but I feel like there could’ve been more contemporary updates in either song choice or length as well as the choreography to really grip an audience in the 21^st century. I’m happy to support the people that made this film, and you might see DeBose winning an award, but this doesn’t rise enough to be film of the year.

 

Oscar Picks

 

          Ratings continue to plummet. Acceptance speeches are less and less interesting. The Academy can’t figure out who should host or present or how to keep that prestige as the awards show while maintaining an entertainment value. And like many years in the past, I’ll tell myself there’s no reason to watch live since highlights and winners will be posted the next day, but in the end, I’ll probably still turn it on. Last year’s winner Nomadland left a terrible taste in my mouth, and none of the Best Picture noms this year will be a film I expect to talk about for years to come. But there’s still films to praise and it’s fun to see how aligned my picks are with the big boy Oscar.

Oscar Winner: Who I think will win

Gill’s Pick: Who I think should win

 

Best Picture

Oscar Winner: The Power of the Dog. All reports have this female-directed film as the front-runner, but CODA has been gaining traction as a family-friendly alternative. I can’t speak on the latter since I don’t have Apple TV, but The Power of the Dog has the dramatic and thematic elements that can be rewarded.

Gill’s Pick: The Power of the Dog. This is a very well made movie. Dune has purer entertainment and lasting value, but I still appreciate the filmmaking qualities of this Benedict Cumberbatch starring Western that takes place in Montana and was filmed in Jane Campion’s New Zealand. Not the strongest contender compared to years past, but I don’t think some of the other films here should’ve even been nominated.

 

Best Actor

Oscar Winner: Will Smith. This was an excellent performance from Smith in King Richard after he’s really faded in films over the past decade.

Gill’s Pick: Benedict Cumberbatch. I wish I saw Denzel’s film to judge that because I have an inkling that might change my pick, but I can only go off what I’ve seen. Smith’s performance is a bit flashier and is absolutely deserving of the nomination, but Cumberbatch showed true mastery of his craft in The Power of the Dog. I also wasn’t a fan of tick…tick…BOOM!, so despite my joy of seeing Andrew Garfield celebrated, I wasn’t impressed.

 

Best Actress

Oscar Winner: Kristen Stewart. Going for a dark horse pick in this category. Many say Chastain will win, but I heard enough rave reviews about Stewart for her performance in Spencer for me to pick her.

Gill’s Pick: Jessica Chastain. I’m breaking my previously established guidelines here of having to choose only by what I've seen because I’ve only seen Nicole Kidman in Being the Ricardos. She did a beautiful job transforming into Lucy. But I’m also a huge Chastain fan and would be delighted to see her win.

 

Best Supporting Actor

Oscar Winner: Kodi Smit-McPhee. This is another case of people thinking he was the front-runner for The Power of the Dog, but more recently, people believe Troy Kotsur will win for CODA. There’s many layers to what Smit-McPhee did for his role, so I think he will be rewarded.

Gill’s Pick: Jesse Plemons. I’m actually on the other side of The Power of the Dog. Plemons to me is one of the most unassuming actors out there and nobody knows who he is, but I can almost guarantee you’ve seen him in something. He was in Black Mirror, The Revenant, and the highly underrated Hostiles as well as the second season of Fargo. He brings a natural and organic presence to whatever he’s in, and I’m already happy to see the Academy recognize him with a nomination. I have zero faith that he will win, but a Gill can dream.

 

Best Supporting Actress

Oscar Pick: Ariana DeBose. See the above review.

Gill’s Pick: Aunjanue Ellis. This is tough between her and Kirsten Dunst who was excellent in The Power of the Dog. But similar of how Will Smith is in the spotlight for his role, so is the case of Ellis’ performance of the Williams’ mother in King Richard and all the work that goes into being a mother without always receiving the outside recognition for it. It was very touching without being the most substantial role.

 

Best Director

Oscar Winner: Jane Campion. If she doesn’t win for The Power of the Dog, I will be shocked.

Gill’s Pick: Jane Campion. Close to picking Spielberg, but Campion did a great job.

 

Best Original Screenplay

Oscar Winner: Licorice Pizza. I hate the title of this film, but I’m feeling like the Academy will reward Paul Thomas Anderson for his coming-of-age flick.

Gill’s Pick: King Richard. I think Don’t Look Up was pretty clever, but of the 2 films I’ve seen in this category, King Richard is better.

 

Best Adapted Screenplay

Oscar Winner: The Lost Daughter. Without any stats to back this up, it feels like in recent years a film that doesn’t win Best Picture is compensated with a writing award. Since I have The Power of the Dog as Best Picture, I wouldn’t be surprised to see CODA take this award either. Just be aware that I could have this flipped.

Gill’s Pick: The Power of the Dog. I was a big fan of Dune, but I’ll be giving it love in other categories.

 

Best Animated Film

Oscar Winner: Luca. Encanto is the clear front-runner here, but I think the Academy continues to show love to Pixar for this year.

Gill’s Pick: The Mitchells Vs. the Machines. I made sure to watch this just the other day in case it would be my pick here. And it is. From Phil Lord and Christopher Miller is another triumph of an animated film. I think Luca has a bit more heart, but this film is hilarious and embraces all of its quirkiness. It’s also another really well animated film from Sony.

 

Best Cinematography

Oscar Winner: Dune. This is a total guess on my part. You can make cases for at least 4 of these films. They could show Guillermo del Toro some love for Nightmare Alley, but outside of a couple of shots, the film and cinematography isn’t all that spectacular. The Power of the Dog brilliantly showcases New Zealand, but Dune is just a true spectacle.

Gill’s Pick: Dune. It’s not my favorite film in the world and might be slightly overrated, but there’s lots to love about this movie, and the cinematography is part of that.

 

Best Costume Design

Oscar Winner: West Side Story. I’m probably wrong on this one, but I’m feeling the Academy is drawn to the late 50s aesthetic.

Gill’s Pick: Cruella. The costumes are fantastic, and if it wins, it’s well deserved.

 

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Oscar Winner: House of Gucci. Not very confident in this pick.

Gill’s Pick: Cruella. It’s between this and Coming 2 America which has a real shot at the award.

 

Best Editing

Oscar Winner: tick…tick…BOOM! The editing is high octane and arguably the best part of the film.

Gill’s Pick: King Richard. Actually made tennis look interesting. That’s a joke, I apologize. I like tennis.

 

Best International Film

Oscar Winner: Drive My Car. Hey, here’s a crazy prediction. Let’s choose the one film in this category that’s also nominated for Best Picture.

Gill’s Pick: Drive My Car. I’d love to get around to watching this Japanese film or any of the other films. So this isn’t a real pick, yet.

 

Best Music

Oscar Winner: Dune. More love for Hans Zimmer.

Gill’s Pick: Encanto. It’s not my favorite animated film, but the music honestly rocks.

 

Best Original Song

Oscar Winner: “No Time to Die.” The Academy loves to award Bond films, and I don’t see that changing for Billie Eilish.

Gill’s Pick: “No Time to Die.” She’s not Adele, but this is still the best song. I don’t think even the best Encanto song was nominated.

 

Best Production Design

Oscar Winner: Nightmare Alley. This is the best part of the film, but West Side Story might pull it out.

Gill’s Pick: Nightmare Alley. I have many issues with this film but production design isn’t one.

 

Best Sound

Oscar Winner: Dune. There’s so much complexity to what was designed and invented for this film, and it will be rewarded.

Gill’s Pick: No Time to Die. I could easily say Dune, but No Time to Die’s sound is surprisingly strong.

 

Best Visual Effects

Oscar Winner: Dune. This is my most confident pick.

Gill’s Pick: Dune. The only other film that could rival this is No Time to Die. Other films had solid moments, but there were also issues of either rubbery physics or clear green screen usage.

 

Final Note:

I can’t even provide guesses for the other categories. Except I’ll say Summer of Love will win for documentary. But my knowledge basis for that category as well as the rest is too limited to provide reasonable picks.