2009, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences expanded on a tradition that had existed since 1927. It increased the number of potential Best Picture nominations from the usual five to a potential maximum of 10. It was a move to inject more blockbusters into the Oscar mix and to give movies like Avatar, Inception, and Toy Story 3 the recognition of Best Picture that they deserved. But in essence, this was The Dark Knight rule. This 2008 film, the most incredible superhero movie ever made, was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won two (Best Supporting Actor – Heath Ledger, Best Achievement in Sound Editing).
Category Archives: Academy Award Nominees
Roma (2018)
Not all Best Picture winners are the best movies of the year. Unlike a team competition like the Super Bowl or World Series or an individual competition like a Spelling Bee or a marathon, awards in the arts are very subjective. Some sports, such as gymnastics, diving, boxing, and many reality shows (American Idol, America’s Got Talent), are also based on judge’s scores. Still, for the most part, I don’t think there is much of a difference between who the judges feel the best is and who the public believes the best is. Of the big Awards shows (Grammy, Oscar, Emmy, Tony, Country Music Awards, Golden Globes, etc.) The most diverse are music and television shows. I say music shows because there is no more significant distinction in personal taste in any art than there is when it comes to music. I say television because there is no way that every critic can watch every show nominated for awards, especially in 2018, when most of the shows that get nominated in the seemingly dozens upon dozens of unique categories are shows that the average person has never heard of. And for those shows, the voters usually watch just a single episode that gets nominated. This means that it is somewhat impossible to get to know these characters, nor is it possible to see the arc of where the show was or where it is going. Movie award shows are simpler, especially feature-length films (the types of films I review), because there are usually no more than 15-20 movies that get nominated.
Cold Mountain (2003)
The year was 2003, and a quiet little movie named The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King won the Academy Awards biggest prize, winning Best Picture. Some will argue that this was the culmination of a pretty darn good trilogy, and that will ensure that the Peter Jackson franchise was worthy of its share of accolades, although maybe Best Picture of the Year wasn’t one of them. I can’t give my opinion on that one because I have yet to see the film as of this writing (February 2019). I liked the first two enough and didn’t have a reason for not seeing the third other than length. I should probably watch The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers again beforehand.
Rachel Getting Married (2008)
To say that the Jonathan Demme-directed Rachel Getting Married is the role that Anne Hathaway (The Princess Diaries, Love and Other Drugs) could be considered the ultimate compliment and, simultaneously, something that you hope isn’t true. I say that for a couple of reasons. First, if this is her crowning achievement, then what a movie to hang your hat on. With all due respect to 2012’s Les Miserables, Hathaway’s one performance as of the end of 2018 that has earned her an Academy Award win, I have a difficult time comparing that movie to Rachel Getting Married for no other reason than because while I have from time to time, I don’t typically review musicals. Much like documentaries or animated movies I never review, I wonder if I have much insight or more to offer regarding a singing film. With that said, I reviewed Les Miserables and found Hathaway’s scene-stealing performance as Fantine to be the highlight of a movie and a story I enjoy.
The Favourite (2018)
Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster, The Killing of the Sacred Deer) is not my favorite director. His latest film, the Olivia Colman (Murder On The Orient Express, Locke) led The Favourite, is not my favorite film. His style doesn’t work for me. I like creative movies. I like unique films. I sometimes like eccentric movies. But weird movies are hit or miss, and his are mostly a miss for me. Ironically, The Favourite is probably his most “normal” to date. But I found myself disinterested in it from the start. Just as ironically, the much lesser recognized Mary Queen of Scots, which was released within a week or two of this movie (and a film that I enjoyed), was widely disregarded by critics and audiences alike (63%, 44% on Rotten Tomatoes compared to 94%, 61% for The Favourite). I’m only reviewing this movie because it will likely get nominated for many Academy Awards, and sadly, Best Picture will be one of those.