The American Film Institute announced their top 10 list today. I usually write these up, and why should this year be any different? Here’s what we have:
- CODA
- Don’t Look Up
- Dune: Part One
- King Richard
- Licorice Pizza
- Nightmare Alley
- The Power of the Dog
- tick, tick…Boom!
- The Tragedy of Macbeth
- West Side Story
They also gave special awards to Belfast and Summer of Soul.
No real surprises here. CODA feels a little more indie than usual for the AFI, but it’s been a solid player so far this season.
Usually, you’re looking at six or seven of these films to get Picture nominations. In the years of the expanded Picture category, they got every Picture nomination once…sort of. In 2010, they got nine nominees in their top 10 (plus The Town), and gave The King’s Speech a special award. (In 2009, the only other year with a full slate of 10 nominees, they got just five of them.) As of this moment, Belfast, Dune, King Richard, Licorice Pizza, Power of the Dog, and West Side Story feel pretty safe. That’s six right there.
For the rest…CODA I’m still on the fence about (as a Picture nominee). Reviews on Don’t Look Up are really mixed. Nightmare Alley‘s reviews are a bit soft, but it could happen. tick, tick…Boom! I’m probably underestimating; we’ll see how much the Globes embrace it. And Macbeth is only hurt by how long it’s been since they’ve nominated a straight Shakespeare adaptation.
I’ve only seen two of the top 10 so far (and Belfast), but by the end of the year I should have least seen the rest of them, and hopefully have some idea of what my own list will look like.
If You Want the Gravy... 
DON’T LOOK UP is deeply weird, deeply silly, and seriously undisciplined, even by Adam McKay standards.
I still rather enjoyed the experience, even if it feels kind-of like having gorged on junk food.
I think its Oscar chances are deeply doubtful, but stranger things have happened. *cough*DOGTOOTH*cough*
The trailer did not impress me, but I’ll be seeing it regardless.
I’m glad I gave TICK TICK BOOM a second chance; though I wouldn’t exactly rave, it’s really quite good, the kind of rollicking, upbeat, tuneful (yet poignant) experience that this year’s race probably needs; it’s not likely to ever be top-ten material for me, but there’s also no way I’d begrudge its success.
As an avowed non-RENT-head, if anyone was going to make me care about the life of Jonathan Larson, it would be Andrew Garfield – and he did.
I’m also definitely not a Rent-head (and I saw it on Broadway when I was 14!), so if it wins me over, kudos.