"What makes these new films better is their wilder, freer, more original and personal approach to cinematic form, in addition to their candor about history-their directors' manifest self-consciousness regarding their own, and their films', place in the world, and in the art of movies itself."
"Here's the good news: the best four of this year's ten nominees in the category-"Sinners," "The Secret Agent," "Marty Supreme," and, yes, "One Battle After Another"-are better movies than those five putative classics."
The 2026 Academy Awards ceremony, hosted by Conan O'Brien, emphasized hope and optimism despite troubled times. Paul Thomas Anderson, who won Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Picture for "One Battle After Another," delivered a historical comparison between this year's top nominees and the 1976 Best Picture contenders. Anderson highlighted that contemporary nominees like "Sinners," "The Secret Agent," "Marty Supreme," and "One Battle After Another" represent superior filmmaking compared to the 1976 classics. These modern films distinguish themselves through their innovative, personal approaches to cinematic form and candid engagement with history, demonstrating directors' self-awareness about their work's place in cinema and the world.
Read at The New Yorker
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