Oscars 2019 - Roma so good, Green Book so bad

No time to rant about all the pictures I wish had been nominated, just a quick skim through the actual nominees. So here in reverse order who I would like to see Best Picture

Look it’s not that Green Book is a terribly made film, I was even reasonably moved by the ending and as I said in my other post, I thought Mahershala Ali was brilliant in the film. Technically, it’s a well-made and well-paced film. But oh my god, are we really still making films which centres the story of a guy going from super-racist to accepting that black people are actually people? Do we still make films that have to show what racism is and that it’s a Bad Thing by doing it through a racist white person’s eyes? Dr Don Shirley sounds like a fantastically interesting person, and yet we barely get to know him, despite Mahershala Ali’s best efforts. Choosing to go play in segregated deep South towns to try change racist hearts and minds was an act of bravery and presumably a difficult choice, but this is barely explored because it’s more important that Viggo Mortensen’s character discovers that racism is a thing and a bad thing too. American history is full of different approaches to how to fight racism and white supremacy, dating right back to the beginning of racialised slavery, and this was possibly never more true than the 50s and 60s. But the film doesn’t engage with this discussion, or whether Dr Shirley is engaged in a form of respectability politics or something more complex. It doesn’t engage with racism and its forms and effect in anything but the most basic and shallow level and worst of all makes it about how it affects a boring racist white guy. It centres on this boring guy, but also doesn’t seem to have a clue how it wants us to relate to him either. It’s just so bizarre. And while it might have just been the screening I was in, but it seems to think that the racist humiliation of a brilliant black man is a punchline. I could go on and on, but if you want to see a film about racism in that era, watch If Beale Street Could Talk, not only because it deals with the topic a million times better but also because it is extraordinarily beautiful and affecting, neither adjectives that could be applied to Green Book.

If Bohemian Rhapsody was fictional it would be a solid, ok movie, with a reasonably interesting story. It’s just a shame to discover that the real story was actually more interesting.  It’s not a terrible movie, and the live scenes are done really well. Rami Malek is good, but the involvement of other Queen band members seems to make it obsessed with making them come out well rather than being that interested in getting any deeper understanding of Freddie Mercury. I don’t know if it’s bad casting or what, but the rest of the band come across as deeply boring and annoying and determined to share glory that possibly doesn’t belong to them. It just feels like a missed opportunity.

A Star is Born is better than Bohemian Rhaposdy but has at least 80% more Bradley Cooper than it needed. It’s solidly made, and it massively benefits from a very compelling performance from Lady Gaga who brings her scenes to life.  But I couldn’t get past how awful Jackson Maine is as a character. Are we supposed to even slightly root for him or their relationship? He is spectacularly creepy and controlling and if was made with him as the villain of the piece, then it would have been far more interesting, but it seems to think he’s a sympathetic character. This film is obsessed with Bradley Cooper when it should be obsessed with Lady Gaga. Err who directed it again? Oh right….

I’m not sure enjoyable is the right word for Vice, given the subject matter, but it certainly grabs you and takes you on a ride.  It’s well researched, well scripted and well acted, although perhaps sometimes shallower than it realises – trying to connect different issues and events, but not quite pulling it off, unless you already agree with its point of view (which I did largely, but didn’t feel that should be taken for granted).  It’s a massive step above the three films above, but not quite in the class of the films below.  Christian Bale is superb though. It just felt a bit enamoured of differing documentary styles (such as those of Michael Moore and Adam Curtis) and sometimes tries to fit the story into the style rather than the style to the story. But it’s a minor quibble for a very interesting, and terrifying film!

Some people seem to be a bit sniffy about Black Panther being nominated for Best Picture because it’s a genre, action movie. Well Avatar was also nominated and it’s a million times better than Avatar. Thor Ragnarok may be my favourite Marvel picture but Black Panther almost certainly is the most interesting story-wise, particularly given the dynamic between T’Challa and Killmonger, and visually as interesting as any of the others. It’s also achieved a place in the cultural sphere that probably goes beyond any other individual MCU movie.   It’s as good as you can hope for from a superhero movie, or an action movie, it goes beyond any of those perceived ‘artistic limitations’ and is just a damned good, interesting, visually stunning and entertaining movie.

Unlike Green Book, Blackkklansman actually understands racism and its many manifestations. It fully understands racism’s current place in the world and manages to make a historical picture that tells us a lot about today.  It shows a variety of strategies and arguments for fighting it and always shows that the fight has to continue. And yet, it’s never preachy, or boring, or cliched. It’s dynamic, funny, bold, brilliantly scripted and brilliantly acted and whereas Green Book misues humour, Blackkklansman uses it to draw you in before knocking you out emotionally. It’s quite probably my favourite Spike Lee joint so far, and would be a very deserving winner.

I have to say I have not to date been a massive fan of Yorgas Lanthimos’ films (hated Dogtooth, thought Sacred Deer was flawed but ok, and liked the first half and not the second half of The Lobster). But perhaps letting him bring his unique visual style to someone else’s script is what I have been waiting for.  The Favourite is totally brilliant. A story I have seen done very differently, and a wonderfully fresh and interesting way of telling a historical story.  I laughed, sometimes out of shock, and I was also moved. The visual flair was disturbing and disorientating in the best way. The sets and costumes were phenomenal and it revelled in the awfulness of the characters in the most wonderful way. And most of all, I was always totally gripped by three incredible central performances.  It’s quite hard to believe that such a strange, OTT, and wild film has been nominated for Best Picture, but I am so glad it has been.

But my favourite is not The Favourite, it is Roma. I’m really sad that it didn’t have a proper cinema release, as this is a film that should be seen on the big screen. Visually, it’s just gorgeous and stunning, with the black and white cinematography used to maximum poetic effect. The performances and script are wonderful and hopefully Yalitza Aparicio has a brilliant career ahead of her because we need more than one starring role from her.  But most of all, this is one of the most moving films you will see. For the first half or so, I was thinking this is a lovely, sweet, often funny, always interesting movie, but not quite getting what all the critical acclaim was about. But it is judged perfectly. That first half has made you warmly involved in these characters’ lives but then it just pulls you on the most brilliant, heart stopping emotional journey. I don’t want to give anything away, but it is truly heartbreaking and memorable. It is an exquisite and expert piece of film making from Alfonso Cuaron and I hope it wins Best Picture. 

2019 Oscars - the people on screen

Because I forgot to really bother read any Oscar previews, I've done my own. 

So here is a quick ramble around the acting categories about who I wouldn’t mind winning (and some irrational annoyance with Bradley Cooper for tradition’s sake….)

Supporting Actress:

It is stunning to me that one of the most beautiful films I can remember, If Beale Street Could Talk, only has 3 nominations. Maybe if I’m awake enough tomorrow I will put up a special post on the utter brilliance of Barry Jenkins. But I’m glad that one of those nominations was for Regina King’s incredible performance.  It is a film full of memorable performances but the quietly brilliant range of emotions that Regina King finds for her character is nothing short of stunning. There are so many difficult scenes of conflict where she finds such a perfect pitch of empathy, that you need her character to prevail – not for the other characters to fail, as they are usually complex rather than out and out bad – but because of her sincere and deep attempt to do right.   She has an incredible way of communicating this, and I would absolutely love her to win.

Of course, if either Emma Stone or Rachel Weisz won, I would definitely not object. I’m just not sure how to separate them. And they play off each other so well, it almost feels like a single performance across two actors. They are clearly having so much fun (and kudos for Emma Stone on her accent, which she just about keeps to throughout and actually sounds real, rather than almost right).  Both are brilliantly morally ambiguous, bold and funny and also do exactly what a supporting actress should do – allow the incredible lead actress to shine but create an amazing rich space around her too.

Amy Adams and Marina de Tavira are both excellent in their roles, but really their films belong to Christian Bale and Yalitza Aparaicio respectively. They both have some incredible moments but I think it’s got to be between the three above.

Supporting Actor

Let’s just say I have some, um, thoughts about Green Book…. One of them though is that a) Mahershala Ali is way, way too good for that film and b) thank goodness he was in it as I hate to think what would have happened. There are so many missed opportunities for an interesting take in that film, but I’m not entirely sure they would have entered my head, had it not been for his interesting and layered performance. I probably wouldn’t have noticed that there was actually potential for a really interesting and deep and challenging film from that story, if it wasn’t that he brought so much of those elements and created a fascinating and complex character from what seems like quite thin material.  He literally supports the film from falling into a complete hole of obnoxiousness, support it perhaps doesn’t deserve… But I’m not sure that’s quite what they mean by supporting actor.

It seems likely Mahershala Ali will win and, if he doesn’t, that Richard E Grant will. I’m pretty sure Richard E Grant already had all the fun he ever needed just making the film, but he is absolutely superb, and perhaps in another year he would be nailed on favourite, and my favourite too. It’s a witty and well judged performance, it could have been absurd and exaggerated, but he roots the character in an underlying sadness that means instead it is heartbreakingly real. Unlike Mahershala Ali, he is lucky enough to work with excellent material, in a film that certainly deserved Green Book’s best picture slot, and he absolutely makes the most of it.

 Sam Elliott is absolutely fine and very Sam Elliott, but in a rather cliched and underwritten role. Sam Rockwell is fun but overshadowed by Christian Bale in Vice and Adam Driver is very entertaining and effective in Blackkklansman, but that is John David Washington’s film, and it’s a shame he didn’t get a nomination instead. Embarrassing note, I only discovered John David Washington is Denzel’s son about three weeks ago. Well it’s a performance his dad could have been proud of giving himself, and I’m not sure there’s a much higher compliment I can give (still think Denzel was robbed a couple of years ago for one of the greatest screen performances of recent years).

Actress

This category this year could have had about 15 nominees and the quality would still have been ridiculous throughout (special nods for Chloe Grace Moretz in the Miseducation of Cameron Post, Thomasin Mackenzie in Leave No Trace and probably a load of others that I’m going to suddenly remember I’ve forgotten tomorrow).

It looks like it could be Glenn Close’s year, finally, and even if it becomes one of those sort-of lifetime achievement awards because it’s ‘her time’, it would still be well deserved for her performance in The Wife. It’s an incredible performance, full of ambiguity and emotions that are suppressed just beneath the surface – communicated in a way that really feels like only her character and the audience know they are there, whilst the other characters remain oblivious. It is a ridiculously skilful performance as well as being incredibly engrossing and moving. The fact that she is so charismatic to the audience and yet believably barely visible to those around her is such a feat of balance, that whether anyone else could have pulled it off, is hard to say.

It would be harsh on Glenn Close should she not win for that performance, but then again, how awesome is the phrase Oscar winner Olivia Colman? I would happily just give her an Oscar for her Olivia Colman-ness, all of which she brings and more to The Favourite. How the hell she made her character so utterly awful and ridiculous and yet so utterly wonderful and sympathetic is beyond me. How she had the guts to be just so wonderfully out there (any time I see her interviewed, she is so goddam lovely, I don’t know where it comes from, I know she’s an amazing actress but still how?!!) is just incredible. And we all knew she has the skill to play any character absolutely brilliantly, it’s just wonderful that she got such an incredible part in such a high-profile film to do so.

There probably are many years where Melissa McCarthy or Yalitza Aparicio would be firmly deserving to win.  Many of the adjectives I’ve used to describe Olivia Colman’s performance could probably apply to Melissa McCarthy as well. She fearlessly and unapologetically gives us a character is often bitterly awful, yet is sympathetic (and sometimes pathetic) and feels very real but also entertainingly surreal.  It’s a fantastic performance in a wonderful film, she plays off Richard E Grant brilliantly and it’s unlucky she hasn’t been more favoured.

It’s hard to believe Yalitza Aparicio was previously a teacher with no acting experience, given how amazing her performance in Roma is. It’s almost hard to talk about without accidentally giving something away.  But her quiet warmth and earnestness is so engrossing, her sweet humorousness is so endearing and she is already compelling before the emotional final third of the film where she is just heartbreakingly brilliant. It’s such a skilful performance, and yet totally natural.

Lady Gaga is by far the best thing about A Star is Born and perhaps if the film had just been about her, I might have wanted her to win. But I am punishing her by association and assuming / hoping she won’t. She’s great though, for me unexpectedly as I hadn’t seen her act before.  She’s charming, emotionally truthful and the film lights up when she’s on screen.

Best Actor

Let’s just get the rant out of the way first. WHY HAS BRADLEY COOPER NOW BEEN NOMINATED FOR FOUR ACTING OSCARS? This is getting ridiculous. That’s the same number as Mahershala Ali and Sam Rockwell put together. Uuuurgh. And he’s not terrible in A Star is Born, he’s ok, his character is horrible, Lady Gaga is way better than him, and it feels like for all her charisma, he’s draining it away. But he also is in it way, way too much. She’s amazing, why can’t she be on the screen all the time, just go away Bradley Cooper.  Umm so that basically was my internal monologue throughout the film.  So yeah, Bradley Cooper is blah, Bradley Cooper put far too much of himself in his own movie and Bradley Cooper should not have four acting nominations over his career. Does he have dirt on people in Hollywood or something, or are there loads of blah people in Hollywood who like nominated Blandley Cooper to feel better about themselves?

Oh, and just before I get on to the half decent performances, how the hell was Viggo Mortensen nominated too? I’ll go into why I didn’t much like Green Book later, but Viggo Mortensen was pretty one-note throughout and didn’t really show much depth or do anything interesting. I don’t dislike Viggo Mortensen, I think he’s a pretty decent actor, perhaps Mahershala Ali’s brilliance showed him up, but I just couldn’t see what the nomination was for. Just think, the Academy could have had fun and nominated Lakeith Stanfield for Sorry to Bother You or Joaquin Phoenix for You Were Never Really Here, but instead they went for a uninteresting performance of a racist bore who learns that – shock horror- black people are people!

I haven’t seen Willem Dafoe’s performance as I don’t think it’s reached the UK yet, so I’m assuming/ hoping that Best Actor is between Christian Bale and Rami Malek. Christian Bale is terrific, and terrifying and somehow just makes sense of a very confusing and hard to read character. But the main way I would say he is brilliant is that in the interview at the end is I thought that we had cut to real footage of Dick Cheney, right up until the minute he broke the fourth wall. It’s one of Christian Bale’s best performances, and he sets a reasonably high bar….

I don’t mind if Rami Malek wins, as he certainly gives it his all, and like Mahershala Ali is way, way too good for the film he is in.  It’s a bold and convincing performance, that is far more interesting than the film itself and he carries off the performance scenes brilliantly – they could easily have been underwhelming or exaggerated but he gets it right. But for all that he is good, I’m not quite sure whether he is being rewarded for the performance or the role. Unlike the performances in the Best Actress category, where we have interesting characters brought to the screen in remarkable, complex and varied ways, Rami Malek in some ways feels like the acting equivalent of a high-class tribute band. That’s still a really hard thing to pull off, but it’s hard to work out how much of the interest and enjoyment comes from the original, rather than the performer in front of you. But hey, at least he’s not Bradley Cooper.