It’sAcademy Awardstime, and whether you are an obsessed movie fan or trying to glean some intel for your Oscar pool, chances are you’re scrambling to catch up with the best in 2021 cinema.
It’s a little confusing. There are nine best picture nominees for the March 27 Academy Awards, and several others nominated in major categories. Many are floating in and out of Bay Area theaters (check Fandango or simply Google the title of the movie and “showtimes”), and others are available to stream on one of the approximately 10 million streaming services.
We’re here to help. Below is a guide to where to see the big nominees, led by “The Power of the Dog” (12 nominations) and “Dune” (10 nominations).
For those hoping to see as many films in theaters as possible: Century theaters across the Bay Area are screening all best picture nominees — as well as all nominees in the best live-action short and animated short films — during the week of March 21-27. A digital pass for all nominated films is only $35. For more details, go tocinemark.com/movieweek.
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Best Picture
‘Belfast’
Kenneth Branagh’smemories of his childhood in Northern Ireland’s capital city during the Troubles also garnered two other nominations for Branagh — for director and original screenplay — as well as supporting actress (Judi Dench), supporting actor (Ciarán Hinds), sound and original song (“Down to Joy,” Van Morrison).“One of the glories of this year’s cinema,”wrote Chronicle film critic Mick LaSalle.
在海湾地区影院。Available for rental or purchase on most major streaming rental platforms.
‘CODA’
A high school girl (Emilia Jones) is the child of deaf adults (Troy Kotsur, Marlee Matlin). They want her to stay and help run the family fishing business; she wants to attend a prestigious music school in this sentimental, moving drama-comedy that picked up the top SAG award (best ensemble), which makes it a best picture contender.“It’s a beautiful family picture … and universal in its appeal”(LaSalle).
The film is also nominated for supporting actor (Kotsur) and adapted screenplay (by director Sian Heder).
可用于流啊n Apple TV+.
‘Don’t Look Up’
Comet scientists, played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence, try to convince the president (Meryl Streep) and her team that the Earth is doomed unless we act fast. Adam McKay’s satire/climate change parallel has been divisive among critics and audiences; LaSalle’s Little Man is out of his chair clapping because“it might be the funniest movie of 2021. It’s the most depressing too.”
Also nominated for original screenplay (McKay and David Sirota), original score (Nicholas Britell) and editing.
可用于流啊n Netflix.
‘Drive My Car’
Tokyo theater director Yûsuke (Hidetoshi Nishijima) is helming a workshop production of Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya” in Hiroshima that stars his deceased wife’s former lover (Masaki Okada). Yûsuke, still in mourning, is looking for a reason to live. So to is Misaki (Tôko Miura), the driver assigned to him during the run of the show.
The three-hour film is rich and absorbing, and it is the surprise of the awards season: It is also nominated for director (Ryûsuke Hamaguchi), international feature and adapted screenplay (Hamaguchi and Takamasa Oe).” ‘Drive My Car’ moves aheadwith smooth confidence and a fine-tuned reliability” (G. Allen Johnson).
在海湾地区影院。可用于流啊n HBO Max beginning Wednesday, March 2.
‘Dune’
Director Denis Villeneuve’s sweeping adaptation of the first half of Frank Herbert’s legendary novel stars Timothée Chalamet, Oscar Isaac and Oakland native Zendaya, among others. It’s visually eye-popping, but the best thing about the movie might be Hans Zimmer’s impressive Oscar-nominated score, which LaSalle calls“the decisive element in the film … so distinctive that it colors the experience.”
Nominated for 10 Oscars overall, including direction, screenplay (Villeneuve, Eric Roth and Jon Spaihts) and Greig Fraser’s cinematography.
在海湾地区影院。Available to rent or buy on most major streaming rental platforms. Returns to HBO Max on March 10.
‘King Richard’
Will Smith picked up best actor at the SAG Awards; will that propel him to Oscar success? He’s excellent as Richard Williams, the mercurial father of Venus and Serena, inReinaldo Marcus Green‘s film about the future tennis greats’ rise from their humble Compton backgrounds.
Smith is matched by San Francisco native Aunjanue Ellis (supporting actress nominee) as his wife, Oracene. Nominated for four other Oscars, including original screenplay (Zach Baylin) and song (“Be Alive,” Beyoncé and Dixson). LaSalle:“Emerges as a gripping, entertaining sports movie,despite the unmistakable sense that we’re not getting the complete picture.”
在海湾地区影院。Available for rental or purchase on most major streaming rental platforms.
‘Licorice Pizza’
Paul Thomas Anderson’s memory-fueled romp through early 1970s Los Angeles is a freewheeling vehicle for Cooper Hoffman (the late Philip Seymour Hoffman’s son), who plays a child actor and entrepreneur based on real-life producer and Gary Goetzman; and newcomer Alana Haim (of the rock band Haim) as his quirky business partner and companion. Anderson is also nominated for director and original screenplay. LaSalle:“It’s a breakthrough movie for (Anderson) — and in a way, it’s a breakthrough movie for movies.”
在海湾地区影院。
‘Nightmare Alley’
Guillermo del Toro’s disturbing reimagining of the 1947 noir classic has Bradley Cooper as a drifter during the Great Depression, who hooks on with a carnival, falls for carny Rooney Mara and is ensnared in a twisted plot involving Cate Blanchett.
Three other nominations, including Dan Laustsen’s haunting cinematography. LaSalle:“An entertaining movie by a distinctive filmmaker.”
在海湾地区影院。可用于流啊n HBO Max and Hulu.
‘The Power of the Dog’
Jane Campion’s adaptation of Thomas Savage’s 1967 novel, about a ranching family in 1925 Montana held emotionally hostage by the menacing Benedict Cumberbatch, is the odds-on favorite to win best picture — and Campion, long considered one of the greats, is the first woman to be nominated as director twice (after 1993’s “The Piano”).
Other nominations include actor (Cumberbatch), supporting actors (Kodi Smit-McPhee, Jesse Plemons) and supporting actress (Kirsten Dunst). LaSalle:“A beautifully composed work by a filmmaker at the height of her powers.”
在海湾地区影院。可用于流啊n Netflix.
‘West Side Story’
Steven Spielberg’s remake of the 1961 musical classic is breathtakingly directed, and some consider it a dark horse to pull an upset in both the picture and director categories. Ariana DeBose is a powerhouse as Anita, the role that broughtBerkeley’s Rita MorenoOscar gold, and she is the favorite on March 27 after picking up wins at the Golden Globes and SAGs.
See this one in a theater if you can. LaSalle:“A magnificent movie, even by Spielberg standards and even by “West Side Story” standards.”
在海湾地区影院。可用于流啊n Disney+ and HBO Max beginning Wednesday, March 2.
Other selected films with acting nominations
‘Being the Ricardos’
Aaron Sorkin’s takeon Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz is nominated for actor (Javier Bardem), actress (Nicole Kidman) and supporting actor (J.K. Simmons, as everyone’s favorite curmudgeon, William Frawley).
可用于流啊n Amazon Prime.
‘tick, tick … BOOM!’
Could Andrew Garfield, as energetic ‘Rent” creator Jonathan Larson indirector Lin-Manuel Miranda’s biopic,pull off the upset as best actor?
可用于流啊n Netflix.
‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’
Denzel Washington (best actor nominee) is a force inJoel Coen’s take on Shakespeare’s play,but so is the stunning black-and-white cinematography of the nominated Bruno Delbonnel.
在海湾地区影院。可用于流啊n Apple TV+.
‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’
Nominated star Jessica Chastaindons prostheticsto portray the quirky televangelist wife of PTL founder Jim Bakker.
可用于流啊n HBO Max, and for rental or purchase on most major streaming rental platforms.
‘The Lost Daughter’
奥利维亚·科尔曼(女演员)和杰西·巴克利(supporting actress) play the same character at different ages inMaggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut.Gyllenhaal is nominated for her adapted screenplay of Elena Ferrante’s bestseller.
可用于流啊n Netflix.
‘Parallel Mothers’
Penélope Cruz is considered a dark horse as best actress inPedro Almodóvar’s latest masterpiece.
在海湾地区影院。Available for rental or purchase on most major streaming rental platforms.
‘Spencer’
Kristen Stewart (best actress) stars as adisturbed Lady Diana.
可用于流啊n Hulu and for rental or purchase on most major streaming rental platforms.
Other categories
‘The Worst Person in the World’
Easilyone of the best films of 2021,the Norwegian dramedy about a young woman finding her way in life is powered by a tremendous performance from Renate Reinsve, who many thought was robbed of a best actress nomination (she won the award at Cannes). Eskil Vogt and director Joachim Trier were nominated for their screenplay.
在海湾地区影院。
‘Flee’
Documentarian Jonas Poher Rasmussen wanted to tell the story of a gay Afghan refugee’s harrowing story, but had a problem: Showing the man’s face would have endangered his life. So Rasmussen tells his story through animation, and the result is a unique film that was nominated in the animation, international film and documentary feature categories.
可用于流啊n Hulu, and for rental or purchase on most major streaming rental platforms.
‘Summer of Soul (or … When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)’
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompsonrevisits the legendary 1969 Harlem Cultural Festivalin a terrific film that is the favorite to win for documentary feature.
可用于流啊n Hulu and Disney+, and for rental or purchase on most major streaming rental platforms.
‘Attica’
长期湾区狗斯坦利·纳尔逊鳍ally got his first nomination for this look at the infamous 1971 prison uprising.
可用于流啊n Showtime, and can be purchased on most major streaming platforms.
‘Encanto’
Thefavorite for animated featureis a colorful musical about a Colombian family living in a magical land, with songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Its competition at the Academy Awards includes Disney’s“Raya and the Last Dragon”and Disney-Pixar’s“Luca.”
All three are available to stream on Disney+, and can be rented or purchased on most major streaming platforms.