Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar Nominees 2023
All Quiet on the Western Front – A Gut Punch Focus on War (4*)
A German production, All Quiet on the Western Front re-adapts the 1928 novel of the same name, adding some distinctive scenes and commentary to the story of a young German man, and his friends, thrust onto the “Western Front” to fight the French in the final months of World War I. Accompanied by some stunning cinematography, dominating sound and music, and visceral visual effects, the film reaches new heights in presenting the horror of war. It also adds another, very important message about how events are felt differently depending on where you stand on the social ladder.
Glass Onion – Packed with Great Humor and Murder (4*)
Glass Onion is a terrific sequel to Knives Out. Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) still solves the mystery, but a fun-loving cast helmed by Janelle Monae keeps you thinking. (4*)
Living – Basic Still and Calm (3*)
Living is a remake of a 70-year-old Japanese film with the setting changed to London. The story is a classic, about a man who, told he only has six months to live, suddenly decides to do something different with his life. Nighy’s acting is “spot on”, and the film is a tearjerker, but ultimately it doesn’t present anything new.
Top Gun: Maverick – Well Structured and a Blast (4*)
Top Gun: Maverick is this year’s most popular movie. It tells a relatively simple story well, bursting with visual and aural excitement. First of this year’s “popcorn movies” and worth every kernel. (4*)
Women Talking – Deep and Timely and Simple (4*)
Women Talking is exactly what the title suggests. What you get is a journey what it is like to be a woman in a man’s world, and how that is changing. It is a fascinating conversation. (4*)