Movies: 2026 Oscar Roundup

I'm from a family of cinephiles, so I've seen quite a few of the movies nominated for this year's Academy Awards.  While nothing truly stood head-and-shoulders above the crowd this year, there were some decent films and performances that you may want to check out:

Blue Moon

The latest collaboration between Richard Linklater and Ethan Hawke, Blue Moon is a slice-of-life biopic following lyricist Lorenz Hart, the former songwriting colleague of Richard Rodgers.  The whole movie takes place on the opening night of Oklahoma!, Rodgers' first collaboration with new partner Oscar Hammerstein, with Hart being the odd man out. Hawke turns in a career-best performance as Hart, playing him as a complex bon vivant whose closeted homosexuality and tragic alcoholism help to humanize an irascible character at a low point in life.  Rating: 7/10

Marty Supreme

The Safdie brothers released dueling movies this year, the first since they ended their directing partnership in 2024.  Benny's film, The Smashing Machine, bombed at the box office and was largely shut out at the Oscars, while Josh's movie, Marty Supreme, got nine nominations, including Best Actor for Timothée Chalamet.  Chalamet plays Marty, a semiprofessional table tennis player who dreams of winning the world championship in Tokyo - the only problem is getting there.  Marty Supreme features the same sort of anxiety-filled hustling and brinkmanship as 2019's Uncut Gems, but some absurd plot points and an overlong 150-minute runtime drag the film down. Rating: 7/10

Sentimental Value (Affeksjonsverdi)

Norway's entry in this year's race for Best International Film is a gentle family drama from Joachim Trier. Stellan Skarsgård stars as a famous film director coming to terms with his two estranged daughters, played by Renate Reinsve and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, after the death of their mother.  This is one of those movies that has "Oscar Bait" written all over it - a respected veteran actor looking for his first Oscar, a respected director looking for his first Oscar, and a plot about the importance of filmmaking.  I just wish it were a little more tightly edited. Rating: 7/10

Song Sung Blue

The Kate Hudson-aissance is upon us, with her luminous comeback performance in Song Sung Blue opposite Hugh Jackman. Based on the real-life escapades of Milwaukee husband-and-wife Neil Diamond tribute band "Lightning and Thunder" (Mike and Claire Sardina), this is a "feel-good" movie that trades emotional complexity for (pretty good) musical performances. But Hudson channels all the charm she brought to the screen as Penny Lane in 2000's Almost Famous, and you can't help but fall in love.  She has a decent shot at Best Actress this year. Rating: 7/10