I love “West Side Story.” It’s the best film of 2021, it should have won an Oscar, and the guy who played Riff should have won an Oscar too. It’s the only film I’ve seen in the theatre twice. And it was something out of this world! It was something on the same level as “Road Rage.”
The presenter agreed with Tarantino and added that for a long time he thought Spielberg’s last great film was 2005’s “Munich,” but “West Side Story” made him exclaim, “He’s back!”
The first musical of Spielberg’s career received rave reviews from critics and audiences and was a major contender for top awards that awards season – the film was nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture. However, the Academy ignored the film, awarding the statuette only to Ariana Debos in the Best Supporting Actress category. The best film then was “CODA: Child of Deaf Parents” – an English-language remake of the French film “La Famille Belle” about a girl Ruby, the only hearing member of his family. Although it was a good and important film, did it qualify for Best Picture status?
