This year’s Oscars are shaping up to be extra special for a few reasons; first, in person events seem to be coming back? And second, it falls on my birthday this year ;). Personally though, this year is a bit sad. Every year I looked forward to marathon watching all the Oscar nominees at the Regal Theater down the block, but alas, they have shut their doors after these past few crazy years. So I’m on my own to create a marathon with as much of it happening from the couch as possible! I started off the weekend with two selections that are available now on HBO Max: Dune and West Side Story.
Dune (2021)
So I actually first watched Dune a few weeks ago on a flight to San Diego. It was after work and I was pretty tired, plus I had to squint on the tiny screen that was inches from my face. Suffice it to say, watching from home a second time was a much better experience!
Synopsis: Based in a dystopian future, House Atreides is called upon by the Emperor to take control of the planet Arrakis. Arrakis is covered in harsh desert but home to spice, the most valuable natural resource in the universe. This order brings House Atreides some enemies; House Harkonnen had previous control of the spice trade at Arrakis, and they are unhappy about this change. The Fremen are native to Arrakis, and they are unhappy about their home being continuously ravaged. And it turns out the Emperor’s order for House Atreides to take control of Arrakis may not have been a gift after all. Among all this conflict is Paul Atreides, who many are starting to believe is “The One” who can bend time and bring peace to all. Paul and his mother make contact with the Fremen and follow them to their home.
The characters: The movie is star-studded, and I really enjoyed seeing new stars pop up. Timothée Chalamet is as good as ever playing main character Paul Atreides. Javier Bardem with the glowing blue eyes and Jason Momoa were looking especially super fineee. Zendaya was completely under utilized; she was basically dreamy eye candy. The movie starts out saying it’s part one so I imagine she will play a bigger role in future movies, but that was still a little disappointing. Other big name stars included Oscar Isaacs, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Stellan Skarsgard, among others!
Final thoughts: It was a bit hard to follow on the first watch with the different houses and characters, but on the second watch I enjoyed it way more. I don’t naturally gravitate towards sci-fi movies, but I think this one was going to be hard to miss even before being nominated for Best Picture. So far, I really like Dune for best cinematography and directing. The way they really used the desert was amazing; there were multiple shots of bright sunlight and squinting actors, plus 360 views of sand dunes that made me feel like I was really there. I wouldn’t say this is a front runner for Best Picture for me, but it was definitely a well-done blockbuster of a movie, and Timothée Chalamet is always a treat to watch in my opinion. I’m giving this one a 4 out of 5!
West Side Story (2021)
My dog must be pretty upset that I watched this since I haven’t stopped singing Maria for pretty much twenty-four hours. I’m a huge musical fan, so of course I love the original West Side Story.
Synopsis: The Jets and Sharks are back at it again, this time amidst the backdrop of the construction of Lincoln Center. Fights break out often as they battle for their turf, and they inch closer to a huge rumble each day. The two groups clash at a school dance where ex-Jet Tony meets Shark leader Bernardo’s younger sister Maria, and the two quickly fall in love. Naturally this expedites the rumble, which has all the signs of ending in tragedy. The movie is laced with giant dance numbers and the familiar Sondheim songs throughout.
The characters: I do believe Ansel Elgort was born to play Tony, and the casting of Maria and Anita was also lovely. Ariana DeBose shone as Anita, and her wardrobe designer deserves a huge shoutout as well. The rest of the characters were unfortunately forgettable to me, even Bernardo which is a shame. And while I completely stan Rita Moreno, I honestly found her character to be a bit unnecessary.
Final thoughts: I thought this version did a nice job of making it a bit more modern, even though it was still based in 1957. I need to rewatch the original because I know they added a few new parts and switched up the order of some songs, and I Feel Pretty coming after the rumble I thought was a horrible change of pace. I loved this for the nostalgia factor, and while I do think it stood pretty well on its own, this is definitely not a best picture front runner for me. I would say 3.5 stars out of 5.