Critically acclaimed films and super villain flops
Now in its 89th year, the annual Academy Awards ceremony celebrates cinematic achievements in the film industry; the glitterati of the film world coming together for an evening that includes long acceptance speeches, champagne cocktails, and visions of that gold statuette standing on one’s mantel.
For the most part, the 2017 Oscar nominations reflected preemptive expectations: La La Land dominating with 14 nominations and Moonlight and Manchester by the Sea not far behind. But every year, the nominees list is full of snubs and surprises making us scratch our heads and this year’s list is no different.
For one, you probably would not believe me if I told you that the critically condemned Suicide Squad received the same number of nominations as Martin Scorsese’s Silence, a celebrated and sincere passion project. Suicide Squad was nominated in the best makeup category and Silence was given a single nod for cinematography, while the film’s direction and production design were left unrecognized.
Surprisingly, Mel Gibson overtook Scorsese in the best director category with his World War II drama Hacksaw Ridge, also beating out Jackie’s Pablo Larrain and Fences’ Denzel Washington.Many folks were not necessarily happy about this, but then again, Hollywood loves a good comeback story and Gibson’s film most definitely plays to some of the Academy’s soft spots: it is both a war movie and a period piece.
Perhaps the biggest upset this year occurred in the best actress category. Arrival came out as one of the most honoured films—with recognition in eight categories—but its leading star, Amy Adams, did not receive any praise her performance. To make matters worse, a website managed by the Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences and ABC, the network that broadcasts the Oscars, initially listed her as a nominee. (Oops!)
However, a nice surprise was actress Ruth Negga earning her first major award nomination for this category, serving as the only representative from Loving; a truly great film otherwise ignored by the Academy.
I am also very pleased that actress Isabelle Huppert has been recognized in the same category for her performance in Elle and I wonder if she will be able to beat out Oscar veteran Meryl Streep, who was nominated for the dramedy Florence Foster Jenkins, and fan favourite Emma Stone, who entertained audiences with her role in the musical, La La Land.
For best actor in a supporting role, it is so satisfying to see Michael Shannon—a truly underrated actor who deserves much attention—being nominated for his intriguing work in Nocturnal Animals.So satisfying, perhaps, that one can forgive the Academy for not nominating his co-stars, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Jake Gyllenhaal.
Overall, the nominees for this year’s Academy Awards are comprised of a more diverse set of actors and filmmakers than ever before, especially in contrast to the previous two years, with seven minority actors receiving nods. These actors include Viola Davis for Fences, Mahershala Ali for Moonlight, and Dev Patel for Lion.
Moonlight’s Barry Jenkins is only the fourth black director to be nominated in the best director category.
“It makes me feel good to see such a multifaceted group of people get recognized,” said Jenkins while promoting the film. “It’s an affirmation that film has the power to erode barriers and reveal what makes us all human.”
Based on early predictions, it will be interesting to see who will take home gold at the annual ceremony on Feb. 26.
Photo by Prayitno via CC BY 2.0