Silence is better than

I liked Moonlight more, but Silence is certainly stronger than the front runner, la la land and the long shot Manchester by the Sea

Haven't seen Lion or Hacksaw Ridge, yet, but I'd go:

1. La La Land
2. Manchester by the Sea
3. Fences
4. Arrival
5. Hell or High Water
6. Moonlight
7. Silence
8. Hidden Figures

It would be fair to say that 'Silence' is better than all these nominees because, honestly, it is one film that really made my mind buzz and I keep returning to it for the brilliant moral and spiritual questioning that it presented. Mind you, I am a hard-core Scorsese fan as well but I had not quite expected 'Silence' to be even half as good as I eventually found it.

What makes it so special was that it was a film that made a genuine effort to transcend the limitations of its own somewhat simple plot. The trouble of a missionary in a foreign land has been done before as well- in Chris Menges' 'The Mission', most notably- but the way how Scorsese and Jay Cocks gave it their own twist- turning into a battle between cultures as well as a battle within- was just masterful. Let's also not forget that it had the hallmarks of a true Oscar-caliber film and even better than that- in terms of its visuals, cultural portrayal and emotional impact, it is indeed sensational.

I cannot fathom what exactly turned off the awards juries from a film as magnificent as this. 'The Revenant' was long, deliberate, intense and difficult to watch but it got more than a chunk of attention from the awards circuits. I can only think that Scorsese does still feel like an underdog in these circles, despite all his stellar achievements. They do not really respond very favorably at times to his films at all which is a real shame. How many legendary directors in their 60s and 70s are doing stuff as extraordinary as he is doing? I wonder.

That said, I have nothing exactly wrong with the line-up of the nominees itself. 'La La Land' is a great film, a swooning and sweeping musical spectacle that Hollywood had forgotten to make and even while some will say that it is too superficial and stuff, I personally loved how Chapelle fleshed out the fantasy with smaller detailing that was just incredible. I would be happy if it won and it would be better than seeing 'Titanic' win the Oscar.

I also adored 'Moonlight' and I suspect that if I watch it again, it will be up there with 'Silence' as my favourite film of the year. 'Hell Or Highwater' was a very refreshing Western thriller that did not go down in mindless action scenes but rather boasted of great characterization and realism and 'Arrival' is a very wonderful story of humanity and family disguised as an intelligent and provocative science fiction brainteaser. If you ask me one film that is most unfairly being hailed, I would vote 'Hacksaw Ridge'. I found nothing new in Gibson's usual stew of soapy drama and gory violence.

It would be fair to say that 'Silence' is better than all these nominees because, honestly, it is one film that really made my mind buzz and I keep returning to it for the brilliant moral and spiritual questioning that it presented. Mind you, I am a hard-core Scorsese fan as well but I had not quite expected 'Silence' to be even half as good as I eventually found it.

What makes it so special was that it was a film that made a genuine effort to transcend the limitations of its own somewhat simple plot. The trouble of a missionary in a foreign land has been done before as well- in Chris Menges' 'The Mission', most notably- but the way how Scorsese and Jay Cocks gave it their own twist- turning into a battle between cultures as well as a battle within- was just masterful. Let's also not forget that it had the hallmarks of a true Oscar-caliber film and even better than that- in terms of its visuals, cultural portrayal and emotional impact, it is indeed sensational.

I cannot fathom what exactly turned off the awards juries from a film as magnificent as this. 'The Revenant' was long, deliberate, intense and difficult to watch but it got more than a chunk of attention from the awards circuits. I can only think that Scorsese does still feel like an underdog in these circles, despite all his stellar achievements. They do not really respond very favorably at times to his films at all which is a real shame. How many legendary directors in their 60s and 70s are doing stuff as extraordinary as he is doing? I wonder.

That said, I have nothing exactly wrong with the line-up of the nominees itself. 'La La Land' is a great film, a swooning and sweeping musical spectacle that Hollywood had forgotten to make and even while some will say that it is too superficial and stuff, I personally loved how Chazelle fleshed out the fantasy with smaller detailing that was just incredible. I would be happy if it won and it would be better than seeing 'Titanic' win the Oscar.

I also adored 'Moonlight' and I suspect that if I watch it again, it will be up there with 'Silence' as my favourite film of the year. 'Hell Or Highwater' was a very refreshing Western thriller that did not go down in mindless action scenes but rather boasted of great characterization and realism and 'Arrival' is a very wonderful story of humanity and family disguised as an intelligent and provocative science fiction brainteaser. If you ask me one film that is most unfairly being hailed, I would vote 'Hacksaw Ridge'. I found nothing new in Gibson's usual stew of soapy drama and gory violence.