Top 7 - Unsung Heroes of the 2019 Awards Season
We're finally done with the 2019 Awards Season and as I try and keep my Bohemian Rhapsody anger bottled up to save my housemates anymore rambles, it's time to look back over the last couple of months at the people and films who were unfairly left behind. As I do every year, I'm only going to be including films and people who were actually part of the conversation, meaning that favourites of mine like Suspiria and Bad Times at the El Royale will not be making the list because they just aren't those kind of films. Rankings are done by weighing up both the quality of film/person and how unrecognised they ended up being. One example of which would be...
7. The Favourite
On paper, this seems like a bad choice for a list like this, seeing as The Favourite won a bunch of BAFTAs, was nominated for ten Oscars (joint highest this year) and had one of the most memorable Oscar wins of the year for Olivia Colman. In reality however, it's hard not to feel like The Favourite has had a bit of shit time of it this year. Sure, it was nominated for ten Oscars but it won just one, even losing out on Best Original Screenplay (a category that it would be seemingly made for) to the dull and uninspiring Green Book. All of this is a serious tragedy for what is (at least to my knowledge) the weirdest Best Picture nominee in years. Lanthimos has finally broken through into the semi-mainstream and I hope the Oscar nominations at least help but I can't help but feel that The Favourite just deserved better for its delightful weirdness.
6. Timothee Chalamet for Beautiful Boy
Yes I'm still on the Call Me By Your Name love train and no, I will not apologise. Admittedly, I was not the biggest fan of Beautiful Boy, even though I got to see it a few months early at a film festival but if there was one thing that stood out, it was the performances. Steve Carell was great too, putting in good work as the father, but Chalamet put in another sensational performance. Back when I saw CMBYN, I was worried that I only thought Chalamet was great because I hadn't seen him in anything else (or rather, I'd seen him in Interstellar but hadn't even realised) but now, with him having a string of great roles under his belt, I feel comfortable praising his acting prowess. Obviously, a role in which you play a drug addict is inherently going to be very showy but weirdly, Chalamet is able to bring a subtler touch, whether in those big moments or in the smaller stuff. So yeah, dude is probably going to be one of the actors of our generation and I can't wait to see what he does next, especially if it will get him his Oscar. Let's hope you don't make it on the list three years in a row next year Timmy!
5. Rachel Weisz for The Favourite
I've already touched on The Favourite which, we all agree, is an absolute gem but someone who I think hasn't got nearly enough credit is Rachel Weisz. She isn't any higher on this list because she did win a BAFTA for this role but I still want to talk about her. Weisz has had the misfortune many actors have, when they manage to give the performance of their careers but are unfortunately up against someone giving the performance of an absolute lifetime, a role this year filled by an admittedly superb Regina King. I know there has also been debate that Weisz is really more of a leading role in The Favourite (maybe even more so than Olivia Colman) but however you class her performance, I wish people were talking about her performance more. If Colman is the heart of The Favourite, Weisz is the arms, legs and screaming mouth. Honestly though, the rate she's going, she could put in an even greater performance over the next few years, so it isn't all a loss.
4. First Man
Poor First Man, the not so little film that could have and really frankly should have done better. Sure, it won an Oscar for visual effects but in a way, if that's all you took away from First Man, you didn't really watch the film right. I am admittedly a complete hoe for Damien Chazelle and so even though it doesn't compare to La La Land or Whiplash for me, I still really do want to defend this film. It's completely different from Chazelle's other work, dropping the musical focus for an intimate character study about a man who has to go to space to finally feel like he isn't alone, in which Ryan Gosling gets to play one of his very best "Sad Ryan Gosling"s. The sound especially feels like a complete and utter snub, with Justin Hurwitz's score folding in the musicality that the subject matter of the film lacks (as well as a lovely does of theremin) and the mixing of all the sound effects in the shuttle sequences making you question whether this Neil Armstrong guy was actually going to make it to the moon. I wasn't even looking for a Best Picture win for this film, there's entries I like more, I just feel like it's been unduly snubbed, seemingly because of a stupid flag controversy where the radical move was chosen to focus on a single character instead of the messy and intricate political ramifications of the event. CAN YOU IMAGINE TRYING TO CREATE A COMPELLING CHARACTER, I MEAN WOW!
3. Nicholas Britell for If Beale Street Could Talk
Not to give too much of a spoiler but Beale Street may pop up again later, I just feel like Nicholas Britell deserves a much greater spotlight on the awe inspiring score he composed for this film. Britell worked with Jenkins before on his Oscar winning film Moonlight and there too, he was working beyond levels I can even really comprehend, his track "The Middle of the World" being a highlight that still manages to give me goosebumps every time. Here though, he has substantially upped his game, not something I say lightly, and delivered one of the greatest scores I can remember from the last few years. Even now, a couple of weeks detached from seeing the actual film, I struggle to listen to the score too much because it just melts me. There's so, so, so much to love about Beale Street and so much that I really do love but Britell deserved a win, somewhere, anywhere for this. The only plus side to his losing is that it went to the guy who composed Community and I can never be mad at the success of a Community alumni.
2. Shoplifters
There's a solid chance you might not have heard of Shoplifters and you know, while that's a little upsetting, it isn't a huge surprise. At most of the awards shows this year, it was only nominated in the "Best Foreign Film" category, notable for having a juggernaut that you probably have heard of called Roma. That is probably the chief reason that Shoplifters has ended up this high up for me, that it got consistently and unsurprisingly shut out at every possible juncture which is a terrible shame. Seeing as you likely don't know much about the film, let me pitch it to you. It's a heartwarming Japanese film about a couple who live in poverty but have a family where they keep adopting other strays they find on the streets. Not much really happens, although handled differently something could (I'm sorry, I'm trying to be vague), but the stuff that does happen is just generally about a family growing closer and closer together, even when not always bound by blood. Simply, it's a story about love in the face of adversity, loving each other when the rest of the world is shit; to quote David Lynch, it's a call to arms to "Fix your hearts or die". Writing can't really capture the cinematic poetry of Shoplifters so if you don't mind foreign films (and if you do mind, get you head out of your ass), it's absolutely worth a shot in a year when Roma steamrolled all other competition.
1. If Beale Street Could Talk
I told you it was coming and here it is; If Beale Street Could Talk is far and away the most unjustly overlooked film of this awards season. What makes that most puzzling (other than the fact that it's brilliant) is that this is the follow-up film from Barry Jenkins, director of Moonlight, one of the most infamous Best Picture winners of the century. In a year when discourse on race is stronger than ever, it seems like the Academy would want to honour a film from a brilliant black filmmaker that looks at complex issues in a complex way. Except Beale Street isn't about that. A lot of discussions of this film can make it seem dark and depressing (and there are those moments) but at the end of the day, it's about love and if you dig people that love, there's so much to fall in love with in Beale Street. The aforementioned score, the exquisite cinematography, the performances that say a films worth of dialogue in a single glance... Everything is sublime and both times I saw the film, I left feeling overwhelmed with love. I also know that this film has been completely overlooked because my review for Beale Street has been the lowest viewed post of all the films nominated for anything this year. So if you didn't read that review (and that's fine, you don't have to read all my crap), let me just plead with you to see this film. If it's still in cinemas near you, amazing, go see it. If not, wait until it comes out on blu-ray/digital, buy it and then settle down with someone you care about or even just yourself and... Be swept away. Lose yourself to the most beautiful film that no one seemed to have time for this awards season, a film that soars obscenely high above winners like Green Book and Bohemian Rhapsody. Choose to dig people that love.
7. The Favourite
On paper, this seems like a bad choice for a list like this, seeing as The Favourite won a bunch of BAFTAs, was nominated for ten Oscars (joint highest this year) and had one of the most memorable Oscar wins of the year for Olivia Colman. In reality however, it's hard not to feel like The Favourite has had a bit of shit time of it this year. Sure, it was nominated for ten Oscars but it won just one, even losing out on Best Original Screenplay (a category that it would be seemingly made for) to the dull and uninspiring Green Book. All of this is a serious tragedy for what is (at least to my knowledge) the weirdest Best Picture nominee in years. Lanthimos has finally broken through into the semi-mainstream and I hope the Oscar nominations at least help but I can't help but feel that The Favourite just deserved better for its delightful weirdness.
6. Timothee Chalamet for Beautiful Boy
Yes I'm still on the Call Me By Your Name love train and no, I will not apologise. Admittedly, I was not the biggest fan of Beautiful Boy, even though I got to see it a few months early at a film festival but if there was one thing that stood out, it was the performances. Steve Carell was great too, putting in good work as the father, but Chalamet put in another sensational performance. Back when I saw CMBYN, I was worried that I only thought Chalamet was great because I hadn't seen him in anything else (or rather, I'd seen him in Interstellar but hadn't even realised) but now, with him having a string of great roles under his belt, I feel comfortable praising his acting prowess. Obviously, a role in which you play a drug addict is inherently going to be very showy but weirdly, Chalamet is able to bring a subtler touch, whether in those big moments or in the smaller stuff. So yeah, dude is probably going to be one of the actors of our generation and I can't wait to see what he does next, especially if it will get him his Oscar. Let's hope you don't make it on the list three years in a row next year Timmy!
5. Rachel Weisz for The Favourite
I've already touched on The Favourite which, we all agree, is an absolute gem but someone who I think hasn't got nearly enough credit is Rachel Weisz. She isn't any higher on this list because she did win a BAFTA for this role but I still want to talk about her. Weisz has had the misfortune many actors have, when they manage to give the performance of their careers but are unfortunately up against someone giving the performance of an absolute lifetime, a role this year filled by an admittedly superb Regina King. I know there has also been debate that Weisz is really more of a leading role in The Favourite (maybe even more so than Olivia Colman) but however you class her performance, I wish people were talking about her performance more. If Colman is the heart of The Favourite, Weisz is the arms, legs and screaming mouth. Honestly though, the rate she's going, she could put in an even greater performance over the next few years, so it isn't all a loss.
4. First Man
Poor First Man, the not so little film that could have and really frankly should have done better. Sure, it won an Oscar for visual effects but in a way, if that's all you took away from First Man, you didn't really watch the film right. I am admittedly a complete hoe for Damien Chazelle and so even though it doesn't compare to La La Land or Whiplash for me, I still really do want to defend this film. It's completely different from Chazelle's other work, dropping the musical focus for an intimate character study about a man who has to go to space to finally feel like he isn't alone, in which Ryan Gosling gets to play one of his very best "Sad Ryan Gosling"s. The sound especially feels like a complete and utter snub, with Justin Hurwitz's score folding in the musicality that the subject matter of the film lacks (as well as a lovely does of theremin) and the mixing of all the sound effects in the shuttle sequences making you question whether this Neil Armstrong guy was actually going to make it to the moon. I wasn't even looking for a Best Picture win for this film, there's entries I like more, I just feel like it's been unduly snubbed, seemingly because of a stupid flag controversy where the radical move was chosen to focus on a single character instead of the messy and intricate political ramifications of the event. CAN YOU IMAGINE TRYING TO CREATE A COMPELLING CHARACTER, I MEAN WOW!
3. Nicholas Britell for If Beale Street Could Talk
Not to give too much of a spoiler but Beale Street may pop up again later, I just feel like Nicholas Britell deserves a much greater spotlight on the awe inspiring score he composed for this film. Britell worked with Jenkins before on his Oscar winning film Moonlight and there too, he was working beyond levels I can even really comprehend, his track "The Middle of the World" being a highlight that still manages to give me goosebumps every time. Here though, he has substantially upped his game, not something I say lightly, and delivered one of the greatest scores I can remember from the last few years. Even now, a couple of weeks detached from seeing the actual film, I struggle to listen to the score too much because it just melts me. There's so, so, so much to love about Beale Street and so much that I really do love but Britell deserved a win, somewhere, anywhere for this. The only plus side to his losing is that it went to the guy who composed Community and I can never be mad at the success of a Community alumni.
2. Shoplifters
There's a solid chance you might not have heard of Shoplifters and you know, while that's a little upsetting, it isn't a huge surprise. At most of the awards shows this year, it was only nominated in the "Best Foreign Film" category, notable for having a juggernaut that you probably have heard of called Roma. That is probably the chief reason that Shoplifters has ended up this high up for me, that it got consistently and unsurprisingly shut out at every possible juncture which is a terrible shame. Seeing as you likely don't know much about the film, let me pitch it to you. It's a heartwarming Japanese film about a couple who live in poverty but have a family where they keep adopting other strays they find on the streets. Not much really happens, although handled differently something could (I'm sorry, I'm trying to be vague), but the stuff that does happen is just generally about a family growing closer and closer together, even when not always bound by blood. Simply, it's a story about love in the face of adversity, loving each other when the rest of the world is shit; to quote David Lynch, it's a call to arms to "Fix your hearts or die". Writing can't really capture the cinematic poetry of Shoplifters so if you don't mind foreign films (and if you do mind, get you head out of your ass), it's absolutely worth a shot in a year when Roma steamrolled all other competition.
1. If Beale Street Could Talk
I told you it was coming and here it is; If Beale Street Could Talk is far and away the most unjustly overlooked film of this awards season. What makes that most puzzling (other than the fact that it's brilliant) is that this is the follow-up film from Barry Jenkins, director of Moonlight, one of the most infamous Best Picture winners of the century. In a year when discourse on race is stronger than ever, it seems like the Academy would want to honour a film from a brilliant black filmmaker that looks at complex issues in a complex way. Except Beale Street isn't about that. A lot of discussions of this film can make it seem dark and depressing (and there are those moments) but at the end of the day, it's about love and if you dig people that love, there's so much to fall in love with in Beale Street. The aforementioned score, the exquisite cinematography, the performances that say a films worth of dialogue in a single glance... Everything is sublime and both times I saw the film, I left feeling overwhelmed with love. I also know that this film has been completely overlooked because my review for Beale Street has been the lowest viewed post of all the films nominated for anything this year. So if you didn't read that review (and that's fine, you don't have to read all my crap), let me just plead with you to see this film. If it's still in cinemas near you, amazing, go see it. If not, wait until it comes out on blu-ray/digital, buy it and then settle down with someone you care about or even just yourself and... Be swept away. Lose yourself to the most beautiful film that no one seemed to have time for this awards season, a film that soars obscenely high above winners like Green Book and Bohemian Rhapsody. Choose to dig people that love.
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