The 91st Academy Awards were…something. The lack of a host actually made the show surprisingly smooth and quicker, but at the same time, that absence did make the show feel a little bland. I don’t miss all of the silly shenanigans – some were funny, most were not, but having no one to weave the awards into each other just made it seem a little… unceremonious. Gone were the days of the 2009 Academy Awards and Hugh Jackman – the ceremony which has been the most memorable to me (and others).
This particular Academy Awards was a bit of a wild game – there were no clear winners of anything, even if we thought so. I’ll comment a bit on some of the categories:
Actor in a Leading Role: Look, even with the many (many) issues of Bohemian Rhapsody, it is indisputable that Rami Malek KILLED it. He really did. So I am in no way angry about his win, but I will say that Christian Bale was also such a deserving winner.
Actor in a Supporting Role: My heart said Richard E. Grant (I mean, really), but Mahershala has been doing a fine fine job as well – also not angry. Sam Elliot’s moustache deserved a nomination by itself, but life isn’t perfect is it? Sam Rockwell as Bush is hilarious, and Adam Driver wouldn’t be too bad because it’d be another award for Blackkklansman.
Actress in a Leading Role: NO ONE SAW THIS COMING. Every Oscar game ever got screwed by this one. Glenn Close has swept awards for her performance, and it seemed quite safe to assume this would finally be her Oscar. But nope – the powers that be decided on Olivia Colman, which also brought us a powerhouse performance as Queen Anne – and the most memorable Oscar speech in ages. In this category, I’d love for each and every one of them to win. For very different reasons, each one of these women represented something so much bigger than themselves.
Best Animated Feature Film: Not that Ralph Breaks the Internet is bad, but it does not belong in the same category as Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse. This year, the win was quite clear for me on this one. It’s been a long time since an animated movie made such waves as Spider-verse.
Cinematography: I was really torn between Roma and The Favourite on this one. The Favourite was a bit of a frontrunner in my heart due to its use of very non-traditional angles and lenses for a period movie, it really was innovative. At the same time, Roma is Cuaróns pièce-de-résistance and it was a deserved win.
Costume Design: IF BLACK PANTHER HAD NOT WON I WOULD NEVER WATCH THE OSCARS AGAIN. A lot of creativity goes into costumes for period pieces as each costume has to represent their characters and all of that, so I don’t take the merit away from the other nominees, but THE AFROFUTURISM DREAM that was Black Panther was just a very unique work, for me it clearly stood out as the winner this year. Same comments are valid for Black Panther also winning Production Design.
Directing: My heart really wanted Spike Lee to win, but to have yet another Mexican director win this award is very symbolic (all awards in this category have been won by a Mexican director since 2014 apart from Damien Chazelle in 2017), especially in times like these when someone has the audacity to say Mexico is not sending their best. In your face, orange man. It was especially thrilling to see how happy Guillermo del Toro was to hand out this award.
Original Score: I’m happy that Black Panther won, but my heart said Blackklansman through and through.
Best Motion Picture: GREEN BOOK? IN A YEAR OF BLACKKKLANSMAN AND BLACK PANTHER YOU CHOOSE GREEN BOOK AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF RACIAL RELATIONS IN AMERICA? No. Just no. My order of preference would have been: Blackkklansman, Vice, The Favourite, Roma, Black Panther, A Star is Born, Bohemian Rhapsody, Green Book. NO ACADEMY. NO. Same comments also valid for Best Original Screenplay. YOU HAD ROMA. YOU HAD THE FAVOURITE. YOU HAD VICE. YOU HAD FIRST REFORMED. I can’t with the voters sometimes. I really can’t.
This edition of the Academy Awards did strides to compensate for #OscarsSoWhite, but the fact that Green Book was as drooled over as it was, it goes to show there is still a long way to go.
Keep rocking on, Spike Lee.
(image courtesy of Pxhere)
Kulturissima 
Leave a comment