With 2024 coming to a close, it is time for us to choose what the best entertainment of the year was. And just as the Academy Awards have their "Oscars", so too the Catholic Skywalker Awards have their "Kal-El's"
I have gone through as many movies as possible this year. This year I have seen only about 35 movies to come out this year. There are some (like Joker 2) that I did not get a chance to view before the end of the year. Also, of the movies I've seen, I will only be counting theatrical movies. For the last few years I have included streaming-only films as well because COVID limited our choices. But now that everything is open and has been open for a while, I will no longer be including those streaming movies for award consideration.
So of the movies I've seen this year, here are the winners:
(My appreciation and judgment of a film should not be taken as a recommendation. Choosing to watch any of these films is the reader's responsibility)
BEST PICTURE
Deadpool and Wolverine
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I have never been one to say that only the "important" and serious movies should be considered for their excellence. I'm also not a populist who says that just because something appeals to the masses that it is therefore good art.
But Deadpool & Wolverine is clearly the best movie of 2024. It is one of the few movies that I saw multiple times in the theater. There is no question that it is the most entertaining movie of the year. But beyond that, was how it threaded the needle regarding parody, satire, and traditional heroism. This is an incredibly tricky balancing act. If any of the opposing elements overwhelm the story, then the entire project falls apart. As I wrote in my review: "The movie keeps at its heart the traditional hero's journey at its center, albeit in a strange Deadpool fashion. In an early scene Wade tries to join an important organization because he says "I need this." But this just highlights that he has not yet become the selfless hero he needs to be. The "worst" Wolverine is on a redemption arc where he needs to move past his trauma and step up when he is needed. The Deadpool movies are actually not as subversive as people think. One of the reason The Last Jedi turned so many people off was because it appeared like a traditional Star Wars movie but it had subverted its main themes. The Deadpool movies look like they are subverting the hero's journey, but in actuality, it remains its beating heart."
How do you mercilessly mock an entire genre while at the same time showing your intense love for it? There is something deeply masculine about this film in the sense that it shows affection to things it loves by making fun of it, the way men do of their best friends.
On top of this the production values are fantastic. The movie is actually beautiful to look at. I found my eyes darting around the screen to try to take in everything and not just the Easter eggs peppered throughout. The performances are overall strong and show some strange dramatic range for a movie with such silly humor.
RUNNERS UP
One Life
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1
Wicked Part One
BEST DIRECTOR
Kevin Costner - Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1
Kevin Costner is a director who does not compromise on his visions. Sometimes this works out well, as with Dances with Wolves. Sometimes not so much (e.g. The Postman).
But one thing that you have to admire about Costner is that he swings for the fences. And sometimes you hit a home run.
As I wrote in my review for the movie:
"Costner famously won an Oscar for directing Dances with Wolves, and the beauty he captured on screen is present in Horizon. We see the West through Costner's eyes: a place that is as beautiful as it is dangerous, as enchanting as it is deadly. There were several times where I wanted to pause the movie just to look at the majestic vistas. In my review of The Bikeriders, I mentioned that the film makers never showed us why the life presented on screen was appealing. But Costner is able to capture the appeal of the West. There is something satisfying, wholesome, and honest about wanting to pull yourself up by your bootstraps and create a better, freer, simpler life for your family. In the town of Horizon before the attack, you could see the joy people had at having a piece of that American Dream.
But Conster's view is not one of rose-colored nostalgia. The attack on Horizon is brutal in every way imaginable. And no one is safe. The story subverts expectations, but in a way that is trying to draw you in rather than trying to show off. There is another slaughter elsewhere in the movie that is just as brutal.
One of the smartest things Costner does with this movie is that he trusts the audience to make up its own mind about the events and the characters. Is Pionsenay justified in his attack or not? Is the response justified or not? Costner trusts you to decide these complex things for yourself. At one point, one of the characters begins to be disgusted by seeing a slaughter of Indigenous people. But when he is attacked by them, he does not hesitate to empty his rifle at his enemy. The characters are filled with fascinating contradictions.
There are some strong Catholic images in the beginning of the film where we set up a mediation on the nature of violence and the possibility of rising above it.
RUNNERS UP
Shawn Levy- Deadpool & Wolverine
Jon M. Chu - Wicked Part One
George Miller - Furiosa: A Mad Max Story
Dennis Vilanuave- Dune Part 2
BEST ACTOR
Timothee Chalamet - A Complete Unknown
One of the incredible challenges that Timothee Chalamet has in his portrayal of Bod Dylan for A Complete Unknown is that the script never really lets you into Dylan's interior life. Part of the point of the movie is that he is inscrutable. We have to piece together who he is from the limited interactions he has with people. Unlike James Mangold's other biopic Walk the Line, we do not see the movie through Dylan's eyes. Instead, Dylan is seen through everyone else's eyes.
With this type of disconnect, it could be easy to lose interest or sympathy for Dylan. This is especially challenging because the movie portrays Dylan as an incredible jerk who uses people for his own ends. But Chalamet understands the challenge. Without cheating and giving you to clear a window into his mind, Chalamet offers intriguing glimpses into his private world. But whenever you observe his Dylan, it always feels like he is observing you back. His musical performances are not only excellent, but they capture Dylan's strange expressiveness. He hints at powerful depths beneath the surface.
RUNNERS UP
Kevin Costner - Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter I
Michael Keaton- Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice
Anthony Hopkins- One Life
Ralph Fiennes - Conclave
BEST ACTRESS
Cynthia Erivo - Wicked Part One
As wrote in my review: The real stand-out, though, is Erivo herself. In the lead up to the movie, she was posting snarky things about fans of the musical. Having never seen her perform, I was a little off-put by her. But I have to say that her performance is quite incredible. She is full of charisma and is able to convey Elphaba's emotional journey with impact and honesty. She makes you feel all of the things Elphaba does on her emotional journey in a way that does not feel forced only by the music. But her voice was beautiful and it packs a wallop. One of the best things about her performance is that she does not portray her like a misunderstood saint. Instead, Elphaba has a giant chip on her shoulder that in many ways justifies the prickly reception she sometimes receives. Erivo owns both sides of the character and draws you in completely.
RUNNERS UP
Anya Taylor Joy - Furiosa: A Mad Max Story
Scarlett Johannson - Fly Me To The Moon
Lupita Nyong'o - A Quiet Place: Day One
Monica Barbaro - A Complete Unknown
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Hugh Jackman - Deadpool & Wolverine
One of the reasons that Deadpool & Wolverine works so well is that Hugh Jackman portrays his Wolverine completely straight. Yes, he is snarky and sarcastic, but he plays it from a core of drama. Deadpool winks at the camera and the audience, but Jackman plays his part like he did in Logan. This keeps the entire movie grounded in dramatic emotion despite its silly tone. But it also is a source of incredible humor with Jackman playing the straight man. This is one of the reasons that fans absolutely love Jackman: he always takes Logan seriously. He never treats the character like a joke. His monologue before the third act is as good as anything that Jackman has ever done with the character. The movie jokes that Marvel is going to force Jackman to play this role into his nineties. But I get the feeling that most of us would be perfectly okay with that.
RUNNERS UP
Luke Wilson- Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter I
Edward Norton- A Complete Unknown
Tom Burke- Furiosa: A Mad Max Story
Austin Butler- Dune Part 2
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Sienna Miller - Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1
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Sienna Miller's performance is one of the most overlooked of the year. Her Frances Kittredge is a woman who has to endure horrible tragedy and loss, but she is filled with the frontier spirit to endure and carry on. Miller does not play her as robotically stoic. The fear in her eyes during the settlement attack is palpable. But she carries herself with a grace and a dignity that shows that it is her duty to carry on for her daughter. As the movie progresses and she begins to feel affections once again, she does so in a way that is organic. You can tell that the brave union officer both admires her and is intimidated by her. That is because Miller holds her character with such an air of competence and strength that you cannot help but admire her too.
RUNNERS UP
Zendeya - Dune Part II
Jenna Ortega- Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice
Freya Allen - Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Elle Fanning - A Complete Unknown
BEST SCREENPLAY
Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Zeb Wells, and Shawn Levy– Deadpool & Wolverine
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As mentioned above, the writers of this movie had a difficult balancing act. They had to make fun of the MCU in a way that did not feel like bland-corporation-approved jokes. At the same time, if they attacked it too harshly, they would be alienating the entire fan-base (see The Last Jedi). But the writing team here managed to strike just the right tone. Fans felt safe in laughing at the jokes because they knew it came from a place of love and not derision. One of the reasons the multiverse jokes fell flat on the show She-Hulk was that it was clear that the writers were making fun of the fans. All you have to do is look at the one X-Men joke and the stupid face that the actress makes at the camera when she tells it. It is abundantly clear that the creators of that show had disdain for people who like super hero stories. But the writers of Deadpool & Wolverine clearly love the fans, love the genre, and love the characters. This is evidenced by the fact I mentioned earlier: the made a movie with a traditional hero's journey while making fun of it.
And on a much more simple note, I always think it is a sign of good writing when you find yourself spontaneously quoting lines from the movie long after it has past. This something that I catch myself doing quite often.
"Gubernatorial."
RUNNERS UP
BEST MAKEUP
Dune Part II
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As with Dune Part I, the makeup department does an excellent job of making this very alien world and culture feel very tactile and lived in. The makeup not only feels very grounded, but it also does an excellent job of conveying character through how they are portrayed.
RUNNERS-UP
Deadpool & Wolverine
Wicked Part I
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice
BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS
Deadpool & Wolverine
As I mentioned above, this movie is so much fun to look at. It draws you into a fantastical world and you feel dazzled by the visual spectacle, but at the same time it never acts as a distraction from the overall story.
RUNNERS-UP
Wicked Part I
Dune Part II
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
BEST SCORE
Bryan Tyler- Transformers
This is score reminded me of an eighties synth soundtrack in the best possible way. It capture a sense of techno-wonder at the fantastic world of Cybertron in the way you felt exploring the world of Tron. It felt like a traditional heroic score with a strong John Carpenter influence.
RUNNERS-UP
Danny Elfman - Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice
John Debney - Horizon: An America Saga Chapter One
Andrea Datzman - Inside/Out 2
Hanz Zimmer - Dune Part II
BEST COSTUMES
Wicked Part One
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These were some of the most inventive and creative costumes of the year. Everything in Oz feels like it has a touchstone in the real world, but it hyper-stylized from the overly-feminine wardrobe of Galinda or the unique frames of Elphaba's eyeglasses. The entire costume plot transports you to a whole new world.
RUNNERS-UP
Deadpool & Wolverine
Horizon: An America Saga Chapter One
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice
Furiosa: A Mad Max Story
BEST SONG
"Defying Gravity" - Wicked Part One
It is hard to compete with a Broadway classic like this. The song was realized wonderfully and powerfully with Erivo's amazing performance.
Below are the list of all the films of 2024 that I have seen, ranked in order of excellence (movies highlighted in blue originated on streaming:
So that is my list and the conclusion of this year's Catholic Skywalker Awards.
Thoughts?
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