As of press time, two Best Picture nominees — “The Zone of Interest” and “Poor Things” — are still playing on the big screen. While it’s likely that they’ll end up on a streaming service or available to rent or buy soon, cinephiles might want to make a journey to see them in the theater before the ceremony.
“The Zone of Interest” — loosely based on a novel of the same name by Martin Amis — is directed and written by Jonathan Glazer and focuses on the Höss family. If that name sounds even vaguely familiar, that’s because the real patriarch of the family, Rudolph Höss, lived next door to the concentration camp at Auschwitz during the Holocaust. (Sandra Hüller, who stars in “Anatomy of a Fall,” also plays a supporting role in “The Zone of Interest” as Rudolph’s wife Hedwig.) “The Zone of Interest” performed admirably well at the nominations, picking up nods for Best Picture, Adapted Screenplay, Sound, International Feature Film, and Best Director for Glazer.
As for “Poor Things,” this raunchy, rollicking statement on feminine autonomy and a woman’s journey comes from Yorgos Lanthimos and features his frequent collaborator, Emma Stone. As Bella Baxter — a woman with the brain of an infant who must make her way through the world — Stone is the loosest and strangest she’s ever been. It’s also one of her best performances, so it’s no wonder she was nominated for Best Actress. Her co-star, Mark Ruffalo, made his way into the supporting actor race, and “Poor Things” also scored nominations for its screenplay, cinematography, costume design, and more, with 11 nominations overall.
