Since the Oscars are coming up on March 2, I decided to watch the three most nominated movies “The Brutalist,” “Wicked” and “Emilia Pérez” to see which deserves to win Best Picture.

The Brutalist

The Brutalist received 10 nominations. The story follows a Hungarian-Jewish architect named László Tóth, played by Adrien Brody, who emigrates to America after WWII. The story takes course over much of his life in America as he works as an architect for a wealthy American man. 

With a three and a half hour long runtime, “The Brutalist” felt like a book in the way the plot was developed. The cinematography as well as the score, which is the music that accompanies a film, helped project a weight on the viewer, showing the pressure László felt to assimilate. 

While some scenes seemed unnecessary or too long, as I watched I realized they were revealed to be essential later in terms of character development. Closeups and wide view shots were used to showcase brutalist architecture, which showcases raw materials, and the differences between him and American culture.

This movie should receive an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Adrien Brody’s emotional performance as László as well as Best Cinematography.

Wicked 

“Wicked,” the movie adaptation of the musical of the same, also received 10 nominations. Beginning directly after the events of “The Wizard of Oz,” the movie flashes back to the Good Witch’s youth when she meets Elphaba, the Wicked Witch, played by Cynthia Erivo.

Songs like “Popular” and “Defying Gravity” are popular for good reason, due to their catchy tunes and meaningful lyrics. Cynthia Erivio’s range and depth made her vocal performance otherworldly, and Ariana Grande’s acting as the Good Witch, Glinda, was hilarious.

When the movie ended, I was surprised. While I knew it was supposed to be two parts, it felt like the movie was just starting and there was no resolution. Since the plot doesn’t follow a normal structure, with no falling action or resolution, I believe the movie should be one part.

This movie should win the Oscar for Best Costume and Design and Best Makeup for its mystical feel, along with Best Music.

Emilia Pérez

Emilia Pérez, which is described as a thriller-musical, received 13 Oscar nominations, setting a record. Karla Sofía Gascón is the first transgender woman to be nominated for an Oscar, for Best Actress. Unfortunately, old tweets of hers have resurfaced, revealing racist and Islamophobic behavior. 

The story follows a young lawyer, Rita, played by Zoe Saldaña, who is upset with the corruption in her country, Mexico. Rita is hired to aid a cartel leader in Mexico to fulfill a lifelong desire to transition into a woman, becoming Emilia Pérez, played by Karla Sofía Gascón.

I found this movie compelling in every aspect, and it had me hooked from the beginning. Zoe Saldaña’s performance as Rita was amazing, portraying her character’s internal conflict between justice and corruption.

The main issue I had with this movie was the musical aspect since I didn’t think the musical scenes added any value to the movie. Not only were they seemingly meaningless, but they often started abruptly or included strange talk-singing.

Zoe Saldaña should win for Best Supporting Actress. The movie should also win for Best Writing for an Adapted Screenplay. 

So which movie was best? “The Brutalist” was brutally long. Wicked felt wickedly short. Emilia Pérez was compelling, but should not have been a musical. Accounting for these downsides, “The Brutalist” should win for Best Picture.