Some quick Oscar thoughts:
First and foremost, this is not the first year everyone is glaringly aware that the Oscars have a race problem, but now it seems like the race problem breaks down into two scenarios:
1. A year where African-American actors just aren't given roles that would earn them accolades, which is more of an indictment of Hollywood than the Oscars--like last year.
2. A year where there were plenty of amazing performances by African-American actors and the Academy is just like--"Oh? Black people? Didn't see any. Sorry about that."
#2 is a straight-up Oscar problem, and that's where we are this year.
Let me just do the rundown for you, since I hate when people bring up snubs but don't say what should have been nominated and what should have been left out.
I'm going to be blunt about this:
Idris Elba from Beasts of No Nation and Jason Mitchell from Straight Outta Compton are better than Mark Ruffalo is Spotlight and Christian Bale in The Big Short. They're actually worlds better than Ruffalo. Venus, Jupiter, and Mars better. I mean, if you're going to nominate somebody from Spotlight, at least nominate Michael Keaton. Come on now.
Shameik Moore from Dope is better than everybody in the Best Lead Actor category. I realize it was a long-shot, but regardless of that, he gave the best lead male performance of the year, followed by Michael B. Jordan in Creed, who ALSO wasn't nominated. I could also make a case that Samuel L. Jackson from The Hateful Eight and Will Smith from Concussion were better than Eddie Redmayne and way, way, way, way better than Bryan Cranston in Trumbo, which was essentially a made-for-tv movie dressed up to look like a motion picture.
No Ryan Coogler for Best Director for Creed? Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck, you guys.
Dope, Creed, and Straight Outta Compton were better movies than Brooklyn, Room, and Bridge of Spies. I liked Bridge of Spies but compared to any of the three movies I listed, it was more-than-a-little lifeless.
So...we have a problem here. We have a big problem.
Putting a pin in that for a second, and hitting a few other troublesome areas--
Speaking of Bridge of Spies--enough nominating movies without nominating their directors and writers. This should be a package deal. To say you can get a Best Picture nomination IN SPITE OF the script and the director is ludicrous.
No Aaron Sorkin for Steve Jobs? I know the Academy watched the movie, but did they have the sound off? How can you even argue about whether or not that script deserved to be nominated?
Lily Tomlin is better than everybody nominated for Best Lead Actress for Grandma. Every single person. Swap any of them out with Lily Tomlin, because she outdid them all.
Alicia Vikander and Rooney Mara are clearly lead actresses in their films. The Academy needs to start calling bullshit on this. Ironically, Vikander might not win just because people are going to be mad at her for being the in the wrong category.
Normally, I wouldn't complain that The Force Awakens didn't get nominated for Best Picture, because I know a film like that is divisive in terms of whether or not it should be recognized, but if Avatar deserved a Best Picture nomination strictly because it was commercially successful (which, let's be real, is the ONLY reason it was nominated years ago), then The Force Awakens deserves it on top of being a much better movie than that.
Okay, back to the race issue:
I have no idea how to fix it, other than to drag the average age of the voting members way down. I would bet most of them didn't even see Creed, but they tossed Stallone a nomination because they like him.
They gave Straight Outta Compton a nomination for Best Original Screenplay, which is the most bizarre bone thrown at a film in recent memory. I mean, it was a great script, but that's all you're going to give it. The direction? The performances? Come on now.
Studios need to start making more noise. Other actors need to start making more noise. Something's gotta give. I love the movies and I even love the Oscars (not as much as I love bitching about them, but close) and this is just embarrassing.
First and foremost, this is not the first year everyone is glaringly aware that the Oscars have a race problem, but now it seems like the race problem breaks down into two scenarios:
1. A year where African-American actors just aren't given roles that would earn them accolades, which is more of an indictment of Hollywood than the Oscars--like last year.
2. A year where there were plenty of amazing performances by African-American actors and the Academy is just like--"Oh? Black people? Didn't see any. Sorry about that."
#2 is a straight-up Oscar problem, and that's where we are this year.
Let me just do the rundown for you, since I hate when people bring up snubs but don't say what should have been nominated and what should have been left out.
I'm going to be blunt about this:
Idris Elba from Beasts of No Nation and Jason Mitchell from Straight Outta Compton are better than Mark Ruffalo is Spotlight and Christian Bale in The Big Short. They're actually worlds better than Ruffalo. Venus, Jupiter, and Mars better. I mean, if you're going to nominate somebody from Spotlight, at least nominate Michael Keaton. Come on now.
Shameik Moore from Dope is better than everybody in the Best Lead Actor category. I realize it was a long-shot, but regardless of that, he gave the best lead male performance of the year, followed by Michael B. Jordan in Creed, who ALSO wasn't nominated. I could also make a case that Samuel L. Jackson from The Hateful Eight and Will Smith from Concussion were better than Eddie Redmayne and way, way, way, way better than Bryan Cranston in Trumbo, which was essentially a made-for-tv movie dressed up to look like a motion picture.
No Ryan Coogler for Best Director for Creed? Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck, you guys.
Dope, Creed, and Straight Outta Compton were better movies than Brooklyn, Room, and Bridge of Spies. I liked Bridge of Spies but compared to any of the three movies I listed, it was more-than-a-little lifeless.
So...we have a problem here. We have a big problem.
Putting a pin in that for a second, and hitting a few other troublesome areas--
Speaking of Bridge of Spies--enough nominating movies without nominating their directors and writers. This should be a package deal. To say you can get a Best Picture nomination IN SPITE OF the script and the director is ludicrous.
No Aaron Sorkin for Steve Jobs? I know the Academy watched the movie, but did they have the sound off? How can you even argue about whether or not that script deserved to be nominated?
Lily Tomlin is better than everybody nominated for Best Lead Actress for Grandma. Every single person. Swap any of them out with Lily Tomlin, because she outdid them all.
Alicia Vikander and Rooney Mara are clearly lead actresses in their films. The Academy needs to start calling bullshit on this. Ironically, Vikander might not win just because people are going to be mad at her for being the in the wrong category.
Normally, I wouldn't complain that The Force Awakens didn't get nominated for Best Picture, because I know a film like that is divisive in terms of whether or not it should be recognized, but if Avatar deserved a Best Picture nomination strictly because it was commercially successful (which, let's be real, is the ONLY reason it was nominated years ago), then The Force Awakens deserves it on top of being a much better movie than that.
Okay, back to the race issue:
I have no idea how to fix it, other than to drag the average age of the voting members way down. I would bet most of them didn't even see Creed, but they tossed Stallone a nomination because they like him.
They gave Straight Outta Compton a nomination for Best Original Screenplay, which is the most bizarre bone thrown at a film in recent memory. I mean, it was a great script, but that's all you're going to give it. The direction? The performances? Come on now.
Studios need to start making more noise. Other actors need to start making more noise. Something's gotta give. I love the movies and I even love the Oscars (not as much as I love bitching about them, but close) and this is just embarrassing.
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