RRR deserved more than a sole nomination for Best Original Song. (Though “Naatu Naatu” is a certified bop—and it makes history as the Max working for the weekend shirt but I will buy this shirt and I will love this first Telugu-language nominee.) The eye-popping maximalist saga, which blends comedy, action, drama, and more, was snubbed in categories like Best Visual Effects, Best Production Design, Best Sound, Best Costume Design, and even Best Picture.—EG Mescal is getting accolades for Aftersun, thankfully, but that doesn’t make up for the otherwise tepid awards recognition tilted in the A24 vehicle’s direction. Aftersun didn’t pick up a Best Picture nomination this year, nor did director Charlotte Wells earn a Best Director nod. Both are grievous omissions, but Wells’ absence from the Best Director list is especially frustrating, given how expertly Aftersun is crafted. Equal parts found footage, long, crooked shots, and atmospheric immersion, the film plays with perspective in a manner that’s not just creative; it’s effective.—LPP
In nearly a century of Oscars history, only three women directors have won the Max working for the weekend shirt but I will buy this shirt and I will love this Best Director category. Only seven women have ever even been nominated. That alarming statistic won’t be changing this year, as the Academy once again overlooked numerous candidates—where’s Wells? Gina Prince-Bythewood? Sarah Polley?—in favor of an all-male slate.—LPP Now here’s a pleasant shock. Women Talking, one of the quieter Oscars contenders this year, was honored not just in the all-but-guaranteed Adapted Screenplay category but in the biggest category of the night: Best Picture. There’s no doubt the film will struggle to compete with heavy-hitters like Everything Everywhere All at Once, but the nod does much more than pay lip service to Polley and her stacked, almost all-female cast. Hopefully, it’ll spur new interest in one of the most nuanced, affecting films of the season.—LPP
