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I’m not much of a red-carpet person, but I’m following this weekend’s Oscars with more interest than usual. Here at Sojourners, we focus our film coverage on movies that have something to say about faith and social justice—and this year, Hollywood had a lot to say. Here’s what I mean: After watching Leonardo DiCaprio star as a has-been revolutionary in best-picture nominee One Battle After Another, Sojourners film critic Georgia Coley wondered if we idealize dramatic acts of resistance while ignoring the impact of humbler actions. It's a good point. While mass street protests against ICE have faded out of the news, quieter work continues: Mennonite Action keeps singing outside of their local Target, and retired clergy keep visiting those locked in the “antiseptic oppression” of ICE detention centers. Not glamorous, but justice work rarely is. Guillermo de Toro’s new adaptation of Frankenstein, another best-picture nominee, led JR. Forasteros to the uncomfortable conclusion that we can’t just blame tech-bro types for the rise of worrying technologies like AI. As Sojourners associate editor Darren Saint-Ulysse admitted, it’s tempting to envy the limitless possibilities of AI. Speaking of tech bros and other dudes: Many of this year’s films hint at a certain cultural anxiety about men and masculinity, whether that’s the comically desperate antics of a would-be ping pong champion in Marty Supreme or the quiet desperation of an early 19th century frontiersman in Train Dreams. Not to mention: real-world examples of the ramifications of male ego. And then there’s Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, which earned a record-breaking 16 Academy Award nominations. Truthfully, I can’t possibly summarize it in a sentence. I accept my limits.
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