If the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted the film industry, leading to the indefinite closing of several movie theater chains, then 2021 saw, at least, a steady resurgence in cinema re-openings. In fact, half of this year's ten Best Picture nominees were released exclusively in movie theaters, while the other half were either presented simultaneously or specifically on streaming services (Apple TV+, HBO Max, Netflix).
First things first: a few snubs are in order. One of my favorite performances from this year was Nicolas Cage in Pig. While the eccentric actor has been known for his low-quality (and bizarre) film choices in recent years, Michael Sardoski's directorial debut found Cage at his most subdued, quiet, and introspective. His restaurant scene alone was worthy of awards attention.
Another big snub this year was Passing, based on Nella Larsen's 1929 novella about two childhood friends (both colored) who reunite during the 1930s Harlem Renaissance, one of them passing for caucasian. Actress Rebecca Hall made a remarkable debut as a director, as well as for her adapted screenplay. Lead actress Tessa Thompson and especially an unrecognizable Ruth Negga were incredible, and widely overlooked. I should also mention Mike Mills' terrific family drama C'Mon C'Mon, which (despite its raw content) featured noteworthy performances from Joaquin Phoenix, Gaby Hoffman, and first-timer Woody Norman, as well as superb writing and directing from Mills, and introspective editing by Jennifer Vecchiarello.
Even so, the Academy recognized an incredible roster of feature films, performances, and other "unsung heroes" working behind the scenes last year, including multiple accolades for individuals known primarily for their acting. Let's started with the most nominations.
 |
| (Top left) Timothe Chalamet in Dune, (Top right) Catriona Balfe in Belfast, (Bottom left) Ariana DeBose (center) in West Side Story, and (Bottom right) Benedict Cumberbatch in The Power of the Dog |
Leading the pack (so to speak) is the Netflix-produced western drama The Power of the Dog, with 12 nominations. Adapted from Thomas Savage's slow-burn novel by Jane Campion (who also directed and co-produced), The Power of the Dog picked up nominations for its cinematography, original score, sound, editing, production design, and four of its performances (Benedict Cumberbatch, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons, the latter of whom may be the first couple recognized by the Academy since Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig two years prior).
Close behind (but technically set in another universe) is Denis Villeneuve's adaptation of Frank Herbert's sci-fi epic Dune, with 10 nominations. Villeneuve may have been overlooked for his skilled directorial efforts here, but he did get recognized for co-adapting the screenplay (only the first-half of Herbert's novel) and co-producing. More importantly, Dune's inclusion in so many categories this year (including cinematography, production design, visual effects, editing, production design, costume design, sound, and Hans Zimmer's original score) represents an exception of blockbuster entertainment being embraced as art. (The last time this happened, as I can recall, was in 2016, when Mad Max: Fury Road made a big impression on Oscar voters.)
And speaking of blockbusters, perhaps it's not surprising that two Marvel entries (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Spider-Man: No Way Home) were commended for their mind-blowing visual effects, while animation from the likes of Disney (Raya and the Last Dragon), Pixar (Luca), and Sony (The Mitchells vs. the Machines) filled the Animated Feature Film category. And you probably already figured that Disney's Encanto (which you should see, by the way, if you haven't yet) would end up in that same list, as well as in the Best Original Song category (for the emotional ballad "Dos Oruguitas," even though most people would rather talk about Bruno); some people, on the other hand, may be bummed that multi-talented songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda (who could potentially join the EGOT club) wasn't recognized for his impressive directorial debut, tick, tick . . . Boom!, even though Andrew Garfield was nominated for his career-defining lead performance in the Jonathan Larson biopic. Getting back to the Best Animated Feature category, what is surprising is fellow nominee (and true story) Flee, which was also recognized in the Best Documentary Feature and International Feature Film categories (a first in the Academy's history).
 |
| Hidetoshi Nishijima and Toko Miura in Drive My Car |
Another surprise this year is the Japanese drama, Drive My Car, a three-hour feature that joins the ranks of previous Oscar-winners Roma (2018) and Parasite (2019), for being recognized not only as an International Feature Film, but also one of the year's Best Pictures in general. (It picked up nominations for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay as well.)
Perhaps most impressive, regarding this year's nominees, are several "actors" who were recognized for their work behind the scenes, including Kenneth Branagh (for writing, directing, and co-producing his semi-autobiographical drama Belfast, which picked up seven total nominations, including well-deserved supporting nods for veteran actors Ciaran Hinds and Judi Dench), Will Smith (for co-producing and headlining the Venus and Serena Williams biopic King Richard, nominated in six total categories), Bradley Cooper (for co-producing Guillermo del Toro's aptly-named dark fantasy Nightmare Alley, nominated for four statues), and Maggie Gyllenhaal (for adapting Elena Ferrante's provocative novel, The Lost Daughter, which also recognized actresses Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley).
Other multi-faceted nominees include Adam McKay (whose divisive satirical comedy Don't Look Up scored four nominations, including Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture), Paul Thomas Anderson (whose 1970s love letter Licorice Pizza was recognized for his Original Screenplay, Directing, and co-producing, despite first-time lead actors Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman being overlooked), and Steven Spielberg (who directed and co-produced the latest version of the stage musical West Side Story, which ties with Belfast for seven nominations, including a well-deserved Best Supporting Actress nod for first-timer Ariana DeBose.)
As far as other overlooked entries, Best Picture nominee CODA (about a teenage daughter of deaf parents) picked up two additional accolades, including Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor (Troy Kotser, a real-life deaf actor). Some may be disappointed that actresses Emilia Jones and Marlee Matlin weren't nominated (ditto Rachel Zegler, who recently won a Golden Globe for her captivating lead debut in West Side Story).
 |
| Emilia Jones in CODA |
But as they say, at the Oscars, anything can happen. Could surprise nominees Javier Bardem and Nicole Kidman (Being the Ricardos) tie with Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt from 1998 (As Good As It Gets)? Could the latest James Bond title track, "No Time to Die," continue the franchise's streak of award-winning theme music (following 2012's Skyfall and 2015's Spectre), and make Billie Eilish one of the youngest winners in the Academy's history? Could Will Smith and Denzel Washington (The Tragedy of Macbeth), who were previously nominated together in 2002 (in which Washington won for Training Day), do a reverse-win this year, making Smith only the fifth actor of color to win for a leading role? We'll find out on Sunday, March 27th. Until then, see you at the movies. (And yes, the balcony is open.)
No comments:
Post a Comment