I’m slowly catching up with the best film nominations from this year’s Oscars.

Five down. Five to go.

Sunday night was time for Past Lives as I discovered it on Netflix while scrolling to find some Sunday night entertainment. I had wanted to see this at the cinema when it was first released but somehow missed it, like many other films I’ve wanted to see of late.

Going into it I knew very little about the plot but I sensed it would be my sort of film – character driven over action. The relaxed pace of the film was a beautiful way of telling the story of a relationship over 24 years. As a big believer in fate and destiny, the idea of inyeon immediately resonated with me. The what ifs of life are so often questions that hang over us, but I love to believe things happen for a reason and I firmly believe that to be the case in this story of childhood friendship.

I am not a fan of Bradley Cooper and I didn’t realise it was nominated for best film when I watched Maestro, but I was intrigued enough when I saw it was available on Netflix. I knew some of Leonard Bernstein’s work but didn’t know anything about the man. I loved the way his story was told, and have a new found respect for Cooper, though I found the first half of the film more enjoyable than the second half.

I took myself on a solo cinema date to see Poor Things last month. I was perhaps too tired to properly appreciate everything about the film, but I did love it and wholeheartedly endorse the praise it has received, especially that of Emma Stone and those involved in the costumes and production design. It did leave me with lots of thoughts though which I haven’t fully processed, but it’s a film I’ll definitely rewatch. A colleague shared this article about it which makes some very interesting comments about the film.

Last summer we joined in with the Barbenheimer hype and watched both films at the cinema, though unlike many people we didn’t see them on the same day. I dressed up for Barbie on opening weekend and a few weeks later got the full IMAX Oppenheimer experience. I posted photos from those cinema trips on Instagram, but never got round to writing about them. I thoroughly enjoyed both films, even if they also left me with feelings of frustration due to the realities of the world that they portrayed. I want to see them both again so maybe I’ll get around to properly gathering my thoughts after a second viewing.

I think I’ve missed the remaining nominated films at the cinema now but I’ll keep an eye out for them either on the big screen or on streaming so I can complete the set, though I doubt I’ll see more before the winners are announced next weekend. When a film like All Of Us Strangers (if you haven’t seen it, go see it!) is omitted from the best film category (and all other Oscar categories), it shows what a great year for film 2023 must’ve been – and the five nominated films I’ve seen so far are proving that it was indeed the case.

It’s definitely spurred me on to get back into regular trips to the cinema, something I used to do a lot, and am going to aim to go at least once a month. If anyone has any top tips on films to see this month or upcoming must see releases, let me know.