LOS ANGELES – From a bumper 2021 in which sprawling blockbusters finally hit reopened movie theaters, and streaming platforms released more prestige flicks than ever, 10 films remain in contention for the Academy Award for best picture.
Oscars voters had to choose from a diverse shortlist that includes a homoerotic Western, a Japanese meditation on grief and a sprawling sci-fi epic featuring giant sandworms.
Here is a look at the movies vying for the top prize at Sunday’s Oscars:
– ‘Belfast’ –
Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical “Belfast” — the shortest, most personal film on the list — has long been viewed as a serious Oscars contender.
It depicts the outbreak of violence in his native Northern Ireland in the late 1960s…
