Over the weekend, I attended what has become an annual bash beloved by many Angeleno film geeks. For 22 years, Larry Mantle—the on-air voice of hugely popular public radio station LAist 91.3—has hosted an Academy Awards preview show, on which all eleven of the station’s regular “Film Week” critics give their candid opinions about the race for Oscar gold. The show is taped for broadcasting later this week, but in-person audiences also enjoy watching film clips and applauding loudly for their own favorites.
This is the second year that the show was staged at the Orpheum Theatre, on Downtown L.A.’s historic Broadway. The street is lined with old movie palaces, many of which have been converted over time into churches, clothing emporia, and Apple stores. The Orpheum, originally a vaudeville house (from 1926) with a Mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ, has played host to such stars as Will Rogers, Ella Fitzgerald, the Marx Brothers, and Judy Garland (as one of the singing Gumm sisters). It has also played a version of itself in movies like The Artist, A Mighty Wind, Barton Fink, and The Doors.
This past Sunday, on the Orpheum stage, critics of various ages and outlooks vied with each other to make colorful pronouncements. One described the Best Supporting Actor race between Robert Downey Jr. (for Oppenheimer) and Mark Ruffalo (Poor Things) as Iron Man vs. The Hulk. Another, bringing up a particularly outrageous European film called Mad Heidi, opined, “It makes Poor Things look like On Golden Pond.” At times, the panelists seemed to be competing for the title of Most Curmudgeonly. One snarky older man, the only one who took the stage wearing a jacket and tie, avowed that only four of the Best Picture nominees deserved to be on the list. And yet a critic praising Celia Song’s Past Lives quoted with admiration a line from the romantic film—“I didn’t know that liking your husband would hurt this much”—and explained that it had moved her to tears.
It was fascinating to see which films got the most love from critics and audience members. This group was partial to witty flicks like American Fiction but also to those that are sensitive (Past Lives) or tough-minded (The Zone of Interest). Front-runner Oppenheimer garnered much enthusiasm, but Barbie too had her fans. Not so Killers of the Flower Moon or Maestro: I liked both these films a great deal, but seem to be in the minority. In some cases the discussion made me want to watch a film again: such is the case with the complex whodunit, Anatomy of a Fall. There was also much critical appreciation for a movie that didn’t rack up a single nomination, the British entry, All of Us Strangers.
At the close of the show, audience members were able to ask questions of the panel. I often cringe when questioners use their spot at the microphone to show off their own smarts, but the questions asked at this event were pertinent, and elicited intelligent answers. Someone wanted to compare the Oscar chances of the sound designers behind the films Oppenheimer and The Zone of Interest, in both of which the audio track plays a key role. Another man questioned the public’s declining interest in the annual Oscar broadcast. I didn’t ask a question, but belatedly wished I had. Several of the Robert Downey fans on the panel said he was “due” for an Oscar, after years of strong work. Here’s my question: should Oscars winners be chosen for one outstanding performance or for the legacy of an entire career?
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