29 April
Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire 
April 29, 2025 Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire
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April 15, 2025 "I´m Interested In the Unimportant, the Seemingly Worthless"
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The 97th Academy Awards | 2025 - Best Film & Best International Film
February 27, 2025
By Bessy ADUT
In my first article, I shed light on the “Best Directors” category. I would like to continue with two other important categories as I can’t cover all the categories, these are going to be my top 3.
Following are this year’s nominees for BEST PICTURE and I am going to mention my thoughts on each one of them.
ANORA
Alex Coco, Samantha Quan, and Sean Baker, the producers. This film is about an erotic dancer who meets a young Russian gentleman and we think that we are watching a new “Pretty Woman”; she meets a rich, attractive young man who seems to fall in love with her and can change her life. They have a lot of great times together. Anora doesn’t even have milk when she gets home, her family lives far away. She finds warmth and love with this new person she meets who has all the resources. In a way, this starts off as a Cinderella. She meets the “Prince Charming” only then it turns out that he is the son of a very rich and important person. His family won’t accept or allow his marriage. The family sends his men to put a stop to this marriage asap. Anora takes her marriage very seriously and fights for it with all her might. She is a strong and brave woman who fights off all these men who have a hard time keeping her wild under control. Her prince runs away and he is nowhere to be found for a long time. Finally, they track him down. From that point on it is so very disappointing. He is drunk but even when he sobers up, he doesn’t stand up to his family for his wife or marriage. Immediately, he gives in to his parents' wishes. Anora’s pride is very hurt from all this and thinks she is pathetic. She is mean to one of the men the whole time and takes it out of him only then finally when he gives her the ring, she finds comfort in his arms and cries.
The reason I love this movie so much is because it gets the audience through all sorts of emotions. I should easily say this is the most entertaining movie of them all. There are a lot of fun scenes that make you feel young again but then there is also a lot of action, dark comedy, and drama. It just feels very real. Sean Baker did an excellent directing job. He had talked about the difficulties of indie filmmaking in his speech. Mikey Madison has already won awards for her stunning performance. The cinematography and editing were dynamic, the soundtrack was also great. No offense to any other movies on the list but the winner of my heart this year is Anora. Classism is alive and well, this film shows it perfectly portrayed in this movie.
THE BRUTALIST
Nick Gordon, Brian Young, Andrew Morrison, D.J. Gugenheim, and Brady Corbet, the producers – As a person of Jewish heritage of course this movie has a special place for me. Actually, not only because of my Jewish background but also because the hardships of an immigrant life also speak to me. Adrian Brody speaks volumes with his acting. He always has been an Academy Awards standard actor and he did no less of a performance this time.
László Tóth comes to New York and starts a new life, brings his wife and niece over. However, first, he gets backstabbed by his cousin who turned Catholic for his wife and believes her lies that he was hitting on her. He starts doing heroin. He gets hired by a very rich and powerful man who abuses him and takes advantage of him in every possible way. It’s very humiliating and painful for such a talented architect like him all of what he goes through. We feel his and his wife’s even his niece’s pain deeply. What I should say and sadly many would agree, is the movie was longer than necessary, it was too heavy a content. It mostly stayed on a sad and frustrating emotion. There are not many highs but mostly lows. Only the ending could be considered somewhat happy under the circumstances. Another movie with great performances, cinematography, editing, and of course art department; however, due to the length and overall feel not my favorite movie of the year. I do respect it though, the director and everyone who worked in the movie.
A COMPLETE UNKNOWN
Fred Berger, James Mangold, and Alex Heineman, the producers. Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan already won some big awards and I have a feeling there is more to come.
He plays a young Bob Dylan coming to town to visit one of his music role models in the hospital and meets his manager who offers him a place to stay and get his music career started. We see a double-edged sword love life of Bob Dylan whose heart gets taken by two different women and he can’t settle with either of them. In terms of his music career, it starts well but when he wants to do his own thing and make changes he encounters a lot of problems and obstacles on his way. He doesn’t care for the rules and does what he wants anyway by taking risks. A young, brave man.
When I saw this movie, it made me think of all the franchise movies and music we see. It’s the same things over and over again. Only a few dare to do something different and swim against the tide and it’s always reacted to. However, only those we remember best when we look back. It has been this way in all the art forms. I believe it was a nicely done biopic movie, however, it was too mellow for me to call a best picture. I didn’t have the stats of a heartbeat. I loved the music soundtrack too though and listened to it on repeat. Congrats to the whole team.
CONCLAVE
Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell, and Michael A. Jackman, the producers. I was very curious to see this movie and I am glad to have seen it and learned about the politics going on at the Vatican church. Isabella Rossellini as Sister Agnes had little screen time but performed very believably and she is nominated as best actress in a supporting role. Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence also did a wonderful job and is a nominee for Best Actor in a Leading Role. The whole movie we wonder what is happening to Pope and who deserves to be the next one. Throughout the movie, the voting goes on and on. At the end of the movie, finally, they think they have chosen the best human of them all. However, we find out later on there was a little detail they were missing, and if they all knew there would be no way this could be accepted. I don’t want to give spoilers on that but because of the surprise and brave ending, I would consider this movie as one of my favorites as well. They were a great cast ensemble and I am glad they won an award for that as well. The movie shows the hypocrisy of religion and it really goes for all.
DUNE: PART TWO
Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Tanya Lapointe, and Denis Villeneuve, the producers. It was a great movie, yes, but I am surprised to find it in this category even though I am a fan of science fiction and fantasy. Paul Atreides unites with the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future. Zendaya also did a very powerful performance in this dystopic film.
EMILIA PÉREZ
Pascal Caucheteux and Jacques Audiard, the producers. Emilia Pérez follows three remarkable women in Mexico, each pursuing their own happiness. Cartel leader Emilia enlists unappreciated lawyer Rita to help fake her death so that she can finally live authentically as her true self.
This is another controversial movie. There are not many movies made about a trans life who made it this high to the top in a while. Zoe Saldana already won some awards. Karla Sofia Gascon’s social media caused a lot of controversies but she announced she will be attending the Oscars. Selena Gomez also did a beautiful job both as an actress and as a musician. It was an interesting movie getting us through all sorts of emotions. It could be considered a melodrama, a musical one. There was love, betrayal, action, and many more emotions. It was definitely an original and interesting movie. Overall feel was dark and sad even though there were some light and sweet moments. It was one of the best films I’ve seen this year, yes, but still not my top choice.
I'M STILL HERE
Maria Carlota Bruno and Rodrigo Teixeira, the producers. I am happy to see this film in both The Best Film and Best Foreign Film categories. I believe its chances will be higher in the foreign film category. Definitely one of the best films of this year.
Eunice Paiva investigates her husband Rubens' disappearance while maintaining family stability. Rubens is a former PTB deputy who has gone missing. The score on Rotten Tomatoes is really high. This was a very well done, based on a true story, political and family drama. It didn’t feel like I was watching a movie but felt as if I was peeking on a family. It’s very well shot and performed. One of my top, best films of the year. Outstanding performance by Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here is a poignant film that explores the permanence of love and grief.
NICKEL BOYS
Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, and Joslyn Barnes, the producers. The most interesting part of this movie is the way it was shot from 1st eye point of view and how it shifts perspectives at some point. It throws us for a moment but at the end of the movie, everything all makes sense. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Colson Whitehead, "Nickel Boys", it chronicles the powerful friendship between two young African-American men navigating the harrowing trials of reform school together in Florida. Also great performances by RaMell Ross, Joslyn Barnes and Colson Whitehead. I should add that I love the movie poster and that it wins my heart’s award for that one.
THE SUBSTANCE
Coralie Fargeat, Tim Bevan, and Eric Fellner, the producers. This movie felt like a collage of many movies all in one. A fading celebrity takes a black-market drug: a cell-replicating substance that temporarily creates a younger, better version of herself. The movie is directed by a woman director and really takes a woman’s gaze. In our culture that keeps pushing women to have to be young and beautiful, we see how a woman can take it to the extremes playing with their own lives and health. It starts like a normal movie and ends like a gore, B movie. Demi Moore’s performance was stunning and well deserved the awards she got. The movie does make a great statement with the Hollywood Blvd star in the beginning and open book ending. I think that’s my favorite philosophical moment of the film, a short montage sequence tells so much. Carrie, Elephant Man, Shining, Videodrome, and more; there are many visual references for film geeks in this film and it is thought-provoking.
WICKED
Marc Platt, the producer. Elphaba, a young woman ridiculed for her green skin, and Galinda, a popular girl, become friends at Shiz University in the Land of Oz. After an encounter with the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads. This movie is also telling an important story during these times when we have to speak again about diversity, inclusivity, unity, and co-existence. I have seen the musical a few times. Excellent acting and musical performances by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. I do look forward to watching their live performance at the Oscars.
BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
Emilia Pérez (France) in Spanish – directed by Jacques Audiard
I mentioned this movie in the BEST FILM category. The film was made in France and it’s Spanish. It speaks to a very universal problem and concept. Emilia Pérez follows three remarkable women in Mexico, each pursuing their own happiness. Cartel leader Emilia enlists unappreciated lawyer Rita to help fake her death so that she can finally live authentically as her true self. 3 great performances by actresses and a complicated love story.
Flow (Latvia) – directed by Gints Zilbalodis
Cat is a solitary animal, but as its home is devastated by a great flood, he finds refuge on a boat populated by various species and will have to team up with them despite their differences. What stands out in this film is the quiet and no dialogue throughout the movie and they used real animal, nature sounds. What’s beautiful is the friendship and bond of survival between different animals. One of the most powerful scenes is a psychedelic death scene. Both children and adults can enjoy equally of this original animation.
The Girl with the Needle (Denmark) in Danish – directed by Magnus von Horn
Copenhagen 1919: A young worker finds herself unemployed and pregnant. She meets Dagmar, who runs an underground adoption agency. A strong connection grows but her world shatters when she stumbles on the shocking truth behind her work. Very heavy, dark, and sad movie. Addresses issues of classism, the aftermath of wars, having babies, motherhood, and many more issues. I don’t know about the best film or not but heaviest and darkest themed movie of the year for sure. And excellent performances from all the actors.
I'm Still Here (Brazil) in Portuguese – directed by Walter Salles
In Walter Salles’s Oscar-nominated film, Fernanda Torres plays a woman whose family is torn apart by Brazil’s military dictatorship. It’s a family drama and a very strong mom’s insistence to raise her kids in a just world. Very realistic, great screenplay and it does make us go through a lot of soft and hard emotions.
The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Germany) in Persian – directed by Mohammad Rasoulof
An investigating judge struggles with paranoia amid political unrest in Tehran caused by the death of a young woman. When his gun goes missing, he suspects his wife and daughters, imposing harsh measures that fray family ties. The film shows us what happened a few years back in Persia. Another film where we see the aftermath of a dictatorship regime and what happens to people when they protest for their freedom.
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