Detroit Mercy students talk Oscar favorites

BY NICHOLAS CUCCHI / VN STAFF WRITER

Nine films are vying for Best Picture honors at the Feb. 9 Academy Awards, and Detroit Mercy students certainly have their favorites.

The 2020 nominees are “Ford v Ferrari,” “The Irishman,” “Jojo Rabbit,” “Joker,” “Little Women,” “Marriage Story,” “1917,” “Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood” and “Parasite.”

Joe Duprey, a business major, supports “Jojo Rabbit,” a film about a German boy whose imaginary friend is Adolf Hitler.

“While it’s got a lot of irreverent and edgy humor, it’s still able to tell a heartwarming story with a good message,” he said.

Daniel Russo, a business major, agrees.

“Satirizing a tragedy like the Holocaust was a brave thing to do,” he said. “And the blend of comedy with a strong underlying plot gave it substance other comedies don’t usually have.”

Omari Crume, an architecture major, prefers “Joker,” which stars Joaquin Phoenix, whose performance has earned a Best Actor nomination.

“It was interesting because the Joker is not a good person, but you are rooting for him since he is the protagonist,” said Crume.

He said the movie offers a unique experience because you watch it from the Joker’s unreliable perspective.

Sara Mitraković, another architecture major, is also rooting for “Joker.”

She found its message relevant.

“It made me sad because unfortunately it reflects a lot of what’s happening in society nowadays,” Mitraković said. “I also hope that those who have seen it maybe take a thought or two out of it and consider how they can be better than those people mistreating Arthur.”

Raed Farraj, an engineering major on the pre-medical track, picks “Ford v Ferrari” among the Oscar contenders.

Farraj enjoyed the perspective it takes on racing and loves the behind-the-scenes look at how the Ford GT was developed.

In Natalie Wilson’s eyes, “1917” deserves the Oscar.

The architecture major loved the creative portrayal of the World War I story.

“The film captures the tension of the war so well,” she said. “Its cinematography in particular is amazing. The set designers and camera crew put in so much time and detail in every shot.”

Wilson added that after looking into how the movie was made, she had an even deeper appreciation because everything was done so meticulously.

Kyle Valentage, also an architecture major, said his choice among the nominees he has seen is “The Irishman,” Martin Scorsese’s mob film about the killing of Jimmy Hoffa.

Valentage said that though it took him a while to finish due to its long runtime, it was well worth watching.

He is pleased with the acting, especially of Al Pacino, a Best Supporting Actor nominee.