88th Academy Awards: Best Picture Nominees. My Ranking.

It has been a yearly tradition for me to watch all the nominees in the yearly Academy Awards. And because I have little time, I make it a point to watch the Best Picture nominees first, then catch up on the other films later.

This year there were 42 longform movies and 15 short films in the nominees list. Here's a handy printable checklist that helped me keep track of them. 

So far I have seen only about half of the 42, and just one short film. Pitiable. I hope to do better next time.

Here are my reviews for the eight Best Picture nominees, in order of preference:

1. The Revenant

Magnificent in scale, gritty and never short on realism, The Revenant is an essential film that should easily sweep the Oscars. Leonardo diCaprio may take his first Best Actor award, but he has a strong opponent in Eddie Redmayne from The Danish Girl. (Grade: 5/5)

2. Mad Max: Fury Road

High on entertainment value but never short on technical proficiency. Great performances by all its actors, including even those with the smallest roles. (Grade 5/5)

3. Brooklyn

It is a perfect movie that focuses on characters and relationships. Very affecting and heart-wrenching, even if the world it inhabits are smaller than the two films above. (Grade: 5/5)

4. Spotlight

Smart and engaging. The sensitive issues are presented clinically, with little editorializing, so it doesn't feel heavy. (Grade: 4.5/5)

5. The Martian

Character-driven. Lights up because of Matt Damon's smart and charming performance. It feels a tad overlong, though, particularly because the ending is expected. (Grade: 4/5)

6. The Big Short

It tries to explain difficult concepts in simplified, pop-style ways but it is still confusing to me. The various characters are also not connected to each other, adding to the confusion. It's entertaining, for sure, but this is not the best movie about the 2007 financial crisis. (Grade: 3.5/5)

7. Room

Very affecting, but not as strong as the others in the list. First half is exceptional, second half felt like a Lifetime movie. (Grade: 3/5)

8. Bridge of Spies

The production design is great, but that's it. It feels like a hodgepodge of ideas. Characters are introduced, built up, and never seen again. New plot points don't go anywhere. There were unnecessary scenes that should have been deleted to shorten the overlong movie. For example, the two train scenes should have been deleted. The first one, because we already know that the public hates his family, and the second one, because we already saw that information on TV. (Grade: 2.5/5)

Should Win: The Revenant

Runner-Up: Mad Max: Fury Road

Dark Horse to Win: Spotlight

No Chance, Ever: Bridge of Spies