Another year is almost at an end, and in Hollywood, that means one thing: award season is nigh.
At this point Golden Globe nominations and SAG nominations have been released, and though usually pretty dismal, this year actually has a great mix of films that regular people, such as you and me, have actually seen. Let’s break down the biggest surprises, snubs and what we expect for Academy nominations.
Surprises
It has become expected that when award season rolls around, we are to be bombarded with top tier actors in roles that involve either crying, mental breakdowns, or the depiction of a historical figure. There is a recipe to making an Oscar-worthy movie, and the key ingredient is usually boring slop. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the immense amount of talent and skill that went into making them, but in saying that, they are generally pretty dull. Last Oscars delivered some change, with Get Out, but in general it was the same thing we have seen a million times over.
This is why I was so pleasantly surprised when I read this year’s Golden Globe nominees and saw a decent serving of fun and universally popular films. Thrown in the mix was clear Oscar bait, like The Favourite, Green Book and A Star is Born (my favourite to win), but the inclusion of Black Panther, Crazy Rich Asians, BlacKkKlansman and Mary Poppins Returns was a welcomed breath of fresh air. It seems the HFPA is finally taking notice of what people want to see, and what films made a real cultural change.
Snubs
As appears to be the curse with horror movies, only one nomination appeared this round, even though horror was the standout genre of the year. It looked like A Quiet Place, and Hereditary were hopefuls to get a couple of nominations, and though Mark Beltrami received a well-deserved nod for Best Original Score, everyone else was overlooked. Toni Collette clearly deserved a nomination for her role in Hereditary, and John Krasinski did a standout job directing A Quiet Place. Well, I guess our hope was misplaced, this year…
Outside of horror, there were a couple of other films I was disappointed to see didn’t make the list. Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick were perfectly cast in A Simple Favour, and their performances were flawless, while Jonah Hill received a lot of buzz around his directorial debut for Mid-90s yet didn’t receive a nod.
Winners and Oscars Expectations
A Star is Born has several nominations, including nods for the two leads, and directing. Rami Malek’s performance in Bohemian Rhapsody was sensational, and Black Panther was a global hit. It’s a pretty safe bet they will all be going through for Oscar nominations. I do question whether the Academy will wake up this year and recognise that popular films (Crazy Rich Asians, BlaKkKlansman) should slot right into the Best Film category, but I suppose we will just have to wait and see.
Until then, tune in next year for award season updates, and comment below who you want to see take home gold!
