Oscars 2019...What If?
Now that the Oscars have come and gone once again, it's time to not whine about snubs, or the winners, or really anything about the ceremony itself, but celebrate the overlooked. To close out my 2018 overview I thought it would be a fun time going over an Oscar ceremony with a 'what if' twist. Once upon a time Marvel comics put out a series called "What if..." and, you guessed it, it consisted of one shot stories that asked questions about their iconic heroes such as what if Spider-man became the Punisher, what if Gwen Stacy had lived, and what if Loki had found Thor's hammer, just to name a few. Here, I'm going to assign this year's Oscars a 'What if' post of nominees.
Before going into this list let's all go over the rules. These spots are for nominees, not winners. Would I have liked them to win? Sure, but not everyone on this list should have, and this is more about getting to know more than the heavy hitters of the recent award season. Next, each placement will consist of a category and film. There will be no doubles, such as two nominees for Cinematography, nor one nominee for two categories like writing and directing. They get one, and only one. Finally, these choices were only picked if they were not nominated for an Oscar officially. So while Nicholas Hoult wasn't nominated for a supporting role in this year's ceremony, his film The Favourite was nominated for other awards and thus does not count. All set? Then let's get under way with our first category and nominee...
Score........Torin Borrowdale, Searching
I've talked about this recently in my favorite scores of last year which you can read HERE. So, I'll keep this brief. There are two forces pulling this film along at breakneck speed and that's John Cho as the leading actor, father, and Torin Borrowdale for crafting such a fluffy score that perfectly encapsulates the internet age while also diving into the dark atmospheric story that this movie is trying to tell. Just listen to the opening montage and tell me this doesn't deserve more recognition.
Original Screenplay........Boots Riley, Sorry To Bother You
Not only did Riley put out one of the more outrageous art pieces of the last year, but he also wrote a fairly splendid piece. Full of metaphors, witty dialogue, and crafted to fit some unforgettable visuals Boots Riley put up one of the more original movies in general of last year. If you want a film that takes your head and pushes it into a pool of social commentary with a dash of humor and monstrous cocks then this is the one for you, and more importantly the Academy.
Editing.......Walter Fasano, Suspiria
Suspira is...a lot to say the least. It'll make you feel all sorts of ugly and by the end of it you'll want to take a shower after the visual sludge-fest that it put you through and most of that came from it's splendid editing. Always off putting, the editing takes great pride in making you feel disoriented, confused, and at times repulsed. I personally had to take a ten minute break after an hour because I was starting to feel sick. Usually the Academy will nominated those that bring attention to the craft such as Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk, but here the craft is so visual that you don't want to acknowledge and for that it deserves at least a nomination.
Cinematography..........Martin Gschlacht, Alpha
One mistake that I believe the Academy to be making when choosing the nominees is that it has to accompany a great movie. Alpha is not a great movie. It's good, but really it's just another boy and his dog story with nothing new. However, the cinematography on this baby is tremendous and easily shines brighter and stands above any of the story, performances, or other aspects of this film. When you're leaving your will be watering because they just had a 90 minute orgasm. Sometimes the craft transcends the product, like in this case, and I don't think the Academy respects that way of thinking.
Supporting Actress.........Hari Nef, Assassination Nation
While it's more of an ensemble film with four leading ladies the story structure follows Lily's narrative, played by Odessa Young. Hari Nef stands out in the most spectacular ways in this film and even steals the movie a few. Her presence is dominating, and her memorable character is striking as she gives one of the strongest performances in this crazy, out of control, metaphor of the modern era.
Supporting Actor............Russell Crowe, Boy Erased
For such a small part Crowe's character is essential to Jared's entire character arc. Being a religious father and coming to terms with his son's sexuality isn't anything new, and while this could have easily been a stereotypical role Crowe still gave it gravitas, and an incredibly emotional aspect of it that hangs over the entire film. His confrontation with his son at the end is fantastic, and if he were nominated that would have been the clip they used, because for his little screen time Crowe gives it his all to make sure that his small role was the foundation of Jared's story.
Actress..............Toni Collette, Hereditary
While I wasn't a fan of this as many people were I can't deny that Toni Collette gave one of the best performances of last year. Her emotional turmoil, as well as a few disturbing images, is what brought the fear out of audiences. Strong, fierce, and chilling. Everybody has been saying that she was snubbed, so there's not much else I can say that you probably haven't heard before, but yeah...she's great.
Actor.................Daveed Diggs, Blindspotting
The star of Blindspotting hit the screen in an electrifying timely tale. His suppression of inner rage, his barrier, facade, of fear, and the ultimate turmoil he presents is stellar as his character is haunted by a police shooting he witnessed. He recently did Velvet Buzzsaw, and between the two performances is the seedling of a powerful actor. His presence on screen is mesmerizing, and his acting emotional.
Director...........Lynn Ramsey, You Were Never Really Here
I've talked about You Were Never Really Here a lot. Ramsey crafted such a slow burn thriller dealing with depression and anxiety, and all the darkness that people bottle up in the most beautiful movie involving a man bashing people's skulls in with a hammer. She brings out fantastic performances from her actors and fills the screen with an all too familiar tone of loss.
Best Picture.................The Other Side of the Wind
If I have to explain this to you then that means you haven't seen it. The Other Side of the Wind is an electrifying movie that does not feel dated, but ahead of the time. And that speaks volumes when this was originally made, shot, envisioned, forty years ago. This is the type of movie that paves the way for a whole generation, and to think it's one of the best films of 2018 is wild, and crazy, and deserves nothing less than Best Picture (and editing, acting, cinematography, but I was only allowed to put it in one spot so...) and to think it was nominated for nothing is heartbreaking.
That was my last dealings with 2018, the Oscars, and the past for quite a while. Tell me what you thought, what films did you want nominated?
