Oscars 2021
I meant to post this on Oscar Sunday. Alas, we had a remote learning emergency, and I had to abandon my post. Er, my blog post. Here are my predictions. I didn’t alter them even though I now know who won. Enjoy!
After having watched nearly every movie nominated—and quite a few that weren’t—here are my favorites in a few of the categories:
Cinematography. Admittedly, I don’t know a lot about this category, but when it comes to the look of a movie, to the shots that are taken and the way scenes are framed, I think a few movies were overlooked in this category. Malcolm and Marie was so artistically made from the way the characters were framed to that ending shot where they looked like they were in a painting. Also, the scene from One Night in Miami where we looked down on the car whose doors all opened outward. I think I was supposed to be really impressed with Mank, a favorite if not the favorite, but…it was just not my fave. Of those nominated, I would pick Nomadland because it literally covers a lot of ground, times of day, seasons. But I’m still rather fond of Malcolm and Marie so far as how the camera followed that story.
Production Design. I’m still learning about this one, too. Again, Mank is favored to win this one, but I’m wondering why Da 5 Bloods wasn’t included. Lee immerses us in both past and present Vietnam. Using the set to reflect dementia in The Father was kinda genius, so I understand why it was nominated. I would’ve put Judas and the Black Messiah here instead of Cinematography. I even have a fine appreciation for Tenet and News of the World. I believe I would’ve gone with Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom of the films nominated. So many little details there felt so spot on.
Original Screenplay. Once again, I am not here for the favorite, The Trial of the Chicago Seven. It was a great movie with Sorkin dialogue. For my money though 40-Year-Old Version and Palm Springs each deserved a nod. My favorite original screenplay was Palm Springs. As for the one I thought the best? Promising Young Woman has a shot. I think I’d still go with Minari even though it didn’t feel as though they quite stuck the landing. Of course, the Oscars love open-ended stuff, unlike yours truly. On the whole, I felt this category was very strong. Lots of good movies this year.
Adapted Screenplay. I think the favorite, Nomadland is probably going to win. This, like the category before it, is a strong group, although I would’ve liked to have seen The Invisible Man added here. (I’ll be mentioning this movie again) I’m still a big fan of One Night in Miani…I’m not really sure why Borat Subsequent Movie Film is in this particular category, but it was far better than I had anticipated. With both Nomadland and Borat, I wonder if we need a new category for improvised performances because both of those films rely on the interplay between characters and actual people.
Supporting Actress. Wow. This category is stacked with great performances, but it’s missing at least one really important one: Dominique Fishback. Her ever-so-slight flinch at the end of Judas and the Black Messiah capped off an incredible performance. Glenn Close has gotta Glenn Close, but she’s really the only part of Hillbilly Elegy that was palatable to me. I have a hard time deciding between Maria Balalova from Borat and Yuh-Jung Youn from Minari. In the end, I think I would go with Youn who has to play both feisty and stroke-sufferer.
Supporting Actor. Where is Aldis Hodge? Maybe I just like Hodge (I do), but I felt his performance as Jim Brown was every bit as good as Lelie Odom, Jr. And Odom’s performance was outstanding. In general, I felt the One Night in Miami cast was quite strong. Even so, I think I would go with the favorite, Daniel Kaluuya, from Judas and the Black Messiah. I think he did a good job of capturing Fred Hampton’s energy. Lots of good performances here, though, and there’s not a one I thought was subpar.
Actress. Where is Zendaya? Lord have mercy, her performance in Malcolm and Marie was riveting. Where is Elizabeth Moss? In The Invisible Man, she was acting with air half the time. Andra Day as Billie Holiday gutted me. I think I would be behind favorite Carey Mulligan if she had some how managed to “win,” but she put in a helluva performance, too. Then we have Frances McDormand who put in yet another incredible performance. Viola Davis was, as always, incredible, but the role almost felt like a supporting one to Chadwick Boseman’s Levee even though it was the titular role. Vanessa Kirby put in good work, but I really felt that movie fell apart as it went on. I’m still thinking I would go with Andra Day, but I’m guessing Frances McDormand will actually win.
Actor. Where is Delroy Lindo? Of all of the Oscar thefts, I think his lack of a nomination is the most egregious. I think Chadwick Boseman is going to win, and I have no problem with that. His performance as Levee was excellent. Heck, I don’t think he’s ever put in a bad performance. Anthony Hopkins was even better than usual in The Father. Riz Ahmed was great in The Sound of Metal.
Director. Yay for all of the women nominees! It’s about time, and they put in a great deal of work. But. Where is Regina King? Where is Spike Lee? How could we have a year with Judas and the Black Messiah, Da 5 Bloods, One Night in Miami, The United States vs Billie Holiday, and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and have not one single Black nominee for Best Director? And Thomas Vinterberg for Another Round? What was that? It’s literally a movie about white dudes day drinking. I kid you not. I would put any of the directors of the movies above ahead of his, particularly Regina King and Spike Lee. Both One Night in Miami and Da Five Bloods had a great combination of story, performances, use of music, and production design to evoke a particular time period as well as a unified feel. That said, I think Chloé Zhao is going to win for Nomadland. It, too, has an incredible unified whole complete with the ingenuity of including real people and stunning vistas.
Best Picture. This is always so tough for me because it’s hard to separate my favorite from the movie that is the best. I think the award is going to go to either Minari or to Nomadland, although I think Da 5 Bloods should have been in this list. I’d give a little edge to Promising Young Woman as a fave, but Da Five Bloods is one of Spike Lee’s best since Do the Right Thing, which should’ve been nominated back in 1990. I could argue that it should’ve won that year.
The most important thing about Ryan’s and my movie experiment is that watching nominees prods us to watch movies we might not otherwise watch. This year was a particularly good year full of movies I’m glad I watched. Here are a few:
Tenet. I did not want to watch this. I’m awfully glad I did. Believe it or not, it was kinda fun.
Palm Springs. I didn’t want to watch this one, and it ended up being one of my favorites of the year.
Emma. Quite good. Fun, even.
One Night in Miami. I still think this one was underrated when push come to shove.
Herelf. Oooo, I didn’t like the ending, but it was so good up until that point.
News of the World. I had been burned by Bridge of Spies, but this one was good.
The moral of the story is…expand your horizons. Watch some movies—even if they make you cry. Oh, wait. That last bit of advice was just for me.