Steve Newall: Flicks.co.nz editor unpacks the 2025 Oscar nominees

Awards season is officially underway - and all eyes will be on the Oscars race in the coming weeks.

The 2025 Oscars ceremony, hosted by Conan O’Brien and held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, will be broadcast locally on Monday, March 3.

 Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall unpacks this year's nominees - and shocking snubs.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News Talks EDB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
You're with a Sunday Session time to talk entertainment now
and I'm joined by editor at Flix dot co dot Indeed, Steve.

Speaker 3 (00:19):
You'll good morning, good.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
I got it caught up there with George playing a
little bit of George Michael because that song features in
the fabulous film Baby Doll. And you know what it's
like when you've a classic tune has been taken and
thrown it into a movie, and then that's all you
can do is associate it with that scene. That's how
I feel about that song.

Speaker 3 (00:40):
Yeah, Harris Dickinson kind of sinuously wobbling around with a
glass of whiskey and really get really, really feeling, really
feeling the.

Speaker 2 (00:51):
George baby baby Girl, Baby Doll is baby Girl, Baby Girl, Sorry,
baby Girl is an interesting number. I think it's going
to be one of the most talked about films of
the year. You're either gonna love it or hate it.
I really loved it, and I loved it because it's
one of my favorite Nicole Kibben before since I've seen.

Speaker 3 (01:06):
In a while, and all that and also kind of
a return to the heyday of the nineties erotic thriller.
In Baby Girl, it's Nicole Kidman's this high powered CEO.
She makes some ill advised relationship decisions in her workplace.
It's the sort of stuff that normally would just kind
of happened to Michael Douglas if it was the nineties,
he'd be like, oh, whoopsie, Daisy, Look, I've got myself

(01:27):
in a bit of a pickle. But this is a
little bit more nuanced. Having Kidman in the lead is
just basically a huge bounty to the film. I don't
think Baby Girl could exist without Eyes Wide Shut, And
I don't think her performance and Baby Girl could exist
without her what she went through for Stanley Kubrick's relationship

(01:48):
film Eyes Wide Shut. But yeah, look, I've had so
many people asking me, so many women asking me. When
this film opens, there's a huge amount of anticipation. I
thought I'd maybe overegged it, but when I went in
to see it, absolutely loved it.

Speaker 2 (02:03):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (02:03):
Yeah, this is a smart film that kind of has
its cake and eats at too. It's got stuff to say,
but it is also pretty hot.

Speaker 2 (02:12):
And it wins it out. Is it out?

Speaker 3 (02:14):
Now that's in general release this coming week. There there
are some sneaks, some sneak sessions on before Thursday.

Speaker 2 (02:21):
I was a little bit disappointed to see when the
Oscar nominations were released on Friday morning that Nicole Coman
and Baby Girl has been snubbed.

Speaker 3 (02:29):
Yeah, a bit of a surprise and look at slightly challenging,
but then you know the substances all through the Oscar
norms as well. I don't quite know what to make
of it. Kibmen's performance is great, the film's really clever. Yeah,
I don't get it. Something something the Academy is not
picking up about this about this movie, but across the
other nominations, like, there's still sort of plenty of stuff

(02:50):
to barrack for. Probably for me, the Oscar nominee that's
the weightiest, the thing that's kind of thinking about most
going to Award season to be The Brutalist, which is
in cinemas now. But it's good to see that from
the range of Best Picture nominees, most of them are

(03:10):
available to watch, so you can do your homework over
the next few weeks, the Oscars being in the first
week of March. Of course, Amelia Perez leads the nominations.
That's in cinemas now. A Complete Unknown is another Best
Picture nominee. I'm just going to read through the Best
Picture nomenies, A Complete Unknowns and Cinemas now, Conclave, the
Papal Thrillers and Cinemas now. Nickel Boys will be streaming

(03:33):
in a couple of weeks. Time I'm still here is
about to open. The Substance is available to rent. June
part two is available to rent. Wickeds available to rent
and in cinemas now, Anora's and cinemas and The Brutalist.

Speaker 2 (03:44):
Yeah, I mean, this is probably what we get out
of things like The Golden Globes and the Oscars. Is
a list of really great films.

Speaker 3 (03:51):
To go and check out totally. But this is as
much as it's the time to celebrate the nominees, Yes,
it is the time we sort of reflect on the
snubs a little bit. I was quite surprised to see
that Denzel Washington missed out on a nation for Gladador.

Speaker 2 (04:07):
Too he was supporting actor.

Speaker 3 (04:10):
Yes, yeah, sort of like maybe in a different film
to everybody else there. And also my favorite Movie Center
track of last year, Challenges by Trent Resner and Atticus
Ross won the Golden Globe just a week or two ago,
didn't get nominated for the Oscars. Weird.

Speaker 2 (04:27):
I'll let them know that you're not happy about that, Steve.

Speaker 3 (04:29):
I think I mean challenges, baby girl know that. Yeah, okay,
there is something sort of in common with this film.

Speaker 2 (04:37):
What they're sixy?

Speaker 3 (04:38):
That's sixy no six no sex? Please were Oscars? Steve?

Speaker 2 (04:46):
Always good to catch up. Thank you very much for
your time.

Speaker 1 (04:49):
For more from the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to News Talks it'd be from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio