It’s been a troubling year for the film industry. Typically around this time, we would all be arguing whether Gary Oldman as Churchill in makeup, an actor who is considered “due” for an Oscar, deserves to finally win over the possible last performance of the greatest modern actor, Daniel Day-Lewis. Instead, there are much more important things afoot to talk about. Terrible assaults and accusations have put a deserved black eye on Hollywood and some of its practices. As this all comes to light and we learn more, we can only hope that much needed changes come.
My post below is a rapid reaction to Oscar Nominations based on what I’ve seen this year. I have a few controversial opinions, which I’ll flesh out more as we get close to the ceremony.
Movies I’ve missed: Phantom Thread (sold out both times I went!), Call Me by Your Name (sold out once), Darkest Hour, Mudbound, Florida Project, I, Tonya.
Luckily I have a MoviePass subscription and Netflix, so I’ll hopefully see all of these before the show.
Best Picture:
“Call Me by Your Name”
“Darkest Hour”
“Dunkirk”
“Get Out”
“Lady Bird”
“Phantom Thread”
“The Post”
“The Shape of Water”
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
The big surprise here is “Darkest Hour”. While many thought Oldman would be honored and is the odds-on-favorite to win Best Actor, nobody thought this would garner a best picture nomination. “The Shape of Water”, leading the field with 13 nominations, “Lady Bird” and “Three Billboards” are considered the favorites in this category. I’ve seen all three, and while “Three Billboards” has been labeled problematic, I can’t help but think about the performances Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell put forth. Rockwell has been one of the actors I’ve watched for years and he deserves all the acknowledgment he is finally getting.
Lead Actor:
Timothée Chalamet, “Call Me by Your Name”
Daniel Day-Lewis, “Phantom Thread”
Daniel Kaluuya, “Get Out”
Gary Oldman, “Darkest Hour”
Denzel Washington, “Roman J. Israel, Esq.”
This one is on me. I’ve only see one of the movies here, “Get Out”. I hope to rectify that before the Oscars, but I can’t help but thinking that Denzel Washington’s nomination is a shot across the bow to Franco and others who have had recent accusations (I haven’t seen Franco’s performance either).
Lead Actress:
Sally Hawkins, “The Shape of Water”
Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Margot Robbie, “I, Tonya”
Saoirse Ronan, “Lady Bird”
Meryl Streep, “The Post”
Frances McDormand is amazing as a grieving mother who decides to make a stand. She’s a strong, flawed female lead in a movie full of characters you can sometimes understand, but usually don’t like (Dinklage and Hedges excepted). Saoirse Ronan does a superb job with a role that could easily become generic under a lesser performance and a small part of me wouldn’t be surprised to see her take this home.
I guess now would be the time to reveal that I don’t have much love for “Shape of Water”. While Sally Hawkins does a hell of a lot without saying a single word, I just couldn’t get behind this movie. Del Toro knows how to make a visually stunning movie with amazing production design on a budget (he apparently shot most of the movie with the crew of the Strain and used their sets), but the film doesn’t say much that he hasn’t already said.
Supporting Actor:
Willem Dafoe, “The Florida Project”
Woody Harrelson, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Richard Jenkins, “The Shape of Water”
Christopher Plummer, “All the Money in the World”
Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
I’ve already sung my praises for Rockwell, but Harrelson is great as well in a limited role. Despite my indifference to “Shape of Water”, Jenkins gives a nuanced performance as a gay man struggling with loneliness and being himself in a time that isn’t accepted. He won’t win, but he deserves real consideration.
I have not seen “Florida Project”, which I am looking forward to, nor “All the Money in the World”. Many have said that Plummer’s nomination is in praise of the man, not the work, and that Arnie Hammer was robbed out of the final spot.
Supporting Actress:
Mary J. Blige, “Mudbound”
Allison Janney, “I, Tonya”
Lesley Manville, “Phantom Thread”
Laurie Metcalf, “Lady Bird”
Octavia Spencer, “The Shape of Water”
This is a two-horse race between Janney and Metcalf. “I,Tonya”, also sold out when I went to see it, has picked up steam and could easily take down this award. For what it’s worth, Spencer does good work in her role as the rational voice of the audience in “Shape of Water”.
Director:
“Dunkirk,” Christopher Nolan
“Get Out,” Jordan Peele
“Lady Bird,” Greta Gerwig
“Phantom Thread,” Paul Thomas Anderson
“The Shape of Water,” Guillermo del Toro
My first real problem with the nominations. Martin McDonagh, already nominated for original screenplay with “Three Billboards”, is cheated here. Personally, I would take del Toro out of the race here, but he’s probably going to win the award. I liked “Get Out” and as a horror/thriller fan, am happy to see something get recognition here, but I would rather see McDonagh for Three Billboards.