Cinema News: Movies Update: The Oscar Nominations and More

January 27, 2023

By Stephanie Goodman

Film Editor

Hi, film fans!

Whew, what a week: between the Sundance Film Festival and the Oscar nominations, it has been nonstop news.

The nominations were a mix of welcome surprises and perplexing snubs, as our awards expert Kyle Buchanan noted: "Everything Everywhere All at Once" led the tally with actors of Asian descent making a particularly good showing. Yet Viola Davis and other Black stars of well-known films were completely shut out of the running for best actress, and Andrea Riseborough unexpectedly succeeded with an out-of-the-box campaign for her little-seen "To Leslie." (How little seen? As of this writing its box office take stands at $27,322.) Meanwhile the best actor competition is sure to end with a first-time Oscar winner as every contender in that category is new to the awards.

Sundance is continuing through Sunday but has already racked up some big sales: Netflix paid $20 million for the psychological drama "Fair Play" (about what happens when a woman gets the promotion her boyfriend thought was his) and Searchlight spent under $8 million on the mockumentary "Theater Camp" (just like it sounds). Still, as my colleague Nicole Sperling reported, with so much worry about the commercial viability of movies, "a positive response to a film at Sundance is no longer enough to guarantee that it will attract a theatrical distribution deal."

Our co-chief critic Manohla Dargis is more optimistic about Hollywood, specifically about the status of women in the industry. Citing a raft of female-driven movies in the last year, she writes, "Despite continuing biases and barriers, women are now directing movies with a variety of budgets, topics and casts. It's made my job as a critic more exciting."

What a happy note to end on. Have fun at the movies!

Illustration by Najeebah Al-Ghadban; Ilze Kitshoff/Sony Pictures ("The Woman King"); Eli Adé/Marvel ("Black Panther: Wakanda Forever"); Universal Pictures ("Nope"); Paramount Pictures ("Smile"); David Bornfriend/A24 ("Everything Everywhere All At Once); Merrick Morton/Warner Bros. Entertainment, via Associated Press ("Don't Worry Darling")

CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK

For the First Time Ever, I'm Optimistic About Women in the Movie World

It's not just the volume and range of films centered on female characters. It's also a shift in consciousness that has made feminist concerns mainstream.

By Manohla Dargis

A24, via Associated Press

'Close' Review: This Boy's Life

Friendship and tragedy go hand in hand in Lukas Dhont's delicate, Oscar-nominated drama.

By A.O. Scott

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CRITICS' PICKS

Neon	CRITIC'S PICK 'Infinity Pool' Review: Body Trouble A wealthy writer succumbs to the lure of consequence-free violence in this artfully potent blend of horror and science fiction. By Jeannette Catsoulis

Mario Spada/Breaking Glass Pictures

CRITIC'S PICK

'Nostalgia' Review: Leave Now and Never Come Back

The Italian director Mario Martone creates an expressive, economic depiction of crime and longing in this drama about a man coming home to Naples.

By Teo Bugbee

Cinema Guild

CRITIC'S PICK

'Geographies of Solitude' Review: Exploring a Wild Island

Part nature film, part biographical portrait, this experimental documentary takes its cues from its setting, an island off mainland Nova Scotia.

By Ben Kenigsberg

MOVIE REVIEWS

Parrish Lewis/Netflix

'You People' Review: Guess Who's Going to Roscoe's

Jonah Hill and Eddie Murphy are among the stars in this prickly-charming generational Netflix comedy, the feature directing debut of Kenya Barris.

By Lisa Kennedy

Magnet Releasing

'Kompromat' Review: Escape From Siberia

In this thriller, a French diplomat takes to the road after being falsely imprisoned by Russian authorities.

By Teo Bugbee

Jeff Hutchens/Sobremesa Media/Abramorama

'Remember This' Review: A Stark Portrait of Resilience

This film, featuring a captivating performance from David Strathairn as the Polish resistance fighter Jan Karski, is a straightforward adaptation of the play of the same name.

By Claire Shaffer

Ana Carballosa/Lionsgate/Amazon Prime Video

'Shotgun Wedding' Review: 'Die Hard' With Refreshments

A destination wedding becomes a high-stakes hostage situation in this action-heavy film.

By Calum Marsh

IFC Films

'Life Upside Down' Review: Lotharios, Unmasked

Couples try to navigate relationships in lockdown in this pandemic satire.

By Amy Nicholson

Caroline Bottaro/Greenwich Entertainment

'The Man in the Basement' Review: The Occupation of Paris

This nebulous French thriller tracks the unraveling of a Jewish family that accidentally sells their storage cellar to an antisemitic conspiracy theorist.

By Beatrice Loayza

Well Go USA

'The Wandering Earth II' Review: It Wanders Too Far

The audacious sequel to Frant Gwo's 2019 sci-fi blockbuster follows survivors working to avert planetary disaster, but it loses much of the glee of its predecessor.

By Brandon Yu

Samuel Goldwyn

'Cairo Conspiracy' Review: There Are No Angels

The election of a grand imam is the backdrop for this tense drama of innocence and corruption set at an esteemed Islamic university.

By Glenn Kenny

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NEWS & FEATURES

Sam Hellmann for The New York Times

Mia Hansen-Love and the Hazy Line Where Real Life Ends and Art Begins

The French director translates her experiences into critically lauded dramas like "One Fine Morning," about her father's death and her own new love.

By Natalia Winkelman

Victor Llorente for The New York Times

'Infinity Pool' and the Battle for an R Rating

The story of how an extreme horror movie with an orgy scene fought off an NC-17 label involves a film-board whisperer, minuscule cuts and talk of a new rating.

By Julia Jacobs

A24	THE PROJECTIONIST 2023 Oscar Nominations: Snubs and Surprises It's a record-setting year for performers of Asian descent. In the actress race, there's room for Andrea Riseborough but not Viola Davis or Danielle Deadwyler. By Kyle Buchanan

Kevin Faingnaert for The New York Times

Once a Bullied Teen, Now the Movies' Master Storyteller of Youth

At 31, Lukas Dhont already has two art-house hits to his name. The Belgian director's latest film, "Close," shows his skill at eliciting intense performances from young actors.

By Thomas Rogers

Charles Sykes/Invision, via Associated Press

Sundance, Once a Hotbed for Film Deals, Tries to Find Its Footing

The kind of independent movies that the festival showcases have struggled at the box office, spurring worries about what the market would be like this year.

By Nicole Sperling

Sinna Nasseri for The New York Times

THE PROJECTIONIST

'From this day forward, I will always be "Oscar-nominated actor Ke Huy Quan"!'

After mounting a major career comeback and losing his health insurance, the "Everything Everywhere All at Once" actor said the news was surreal.

By Kyle Buchanan

Marvel Studios

Angela Bassett Nearly Missed the Announcement of Her Own Nomination

The sleepless actress had trouble with the television, but tuned in just as her category was being unveiled. "I'm glad I showed up on time," she said.

By Kalia Richardson

Sinna Nasseri for The New York Times

Michelle Yeoh: 'I Hope This Will Shatter That Frigging Glass Ceiling'

The "Everything Everywhere All at Once" star said she was "bursting with joy" but "a little sad" that previous Asian actresses hadn't been recognized.

By Maya Salam

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