Making the case for a group of former Best Picture hopefuls.
The Oscars have arrived again and tonight movie lovers of all kinds will be tuning in to see if films about an interspecies romance, a terrified black man coming face to face with his worst nightmare or a teenager suffering from growing pains will take home the most coveted piece of gold in the industry. It’s been one helluva year for movies with 2017’s crop of titles nominated for Best Picture being one of the strongest in some time. Each of the films in their own way focus on a different side of the human experience. Whether it be the bravery of the press, a gothic love story, or the portrait of an iconic leader, the nominated films up for the Oscar’s top prize are all wondrous pieces of cinema which challenge and inspire on some level.
Yet there’s something of a sour note when going through the nine nominated films. Specifically the fact that there are ONLY nine of them. It’s been nearly a decade since the Academy opened up the Best Picture category to include up to 10 nominees and a whole seven years since all slots were occupied. This is a shame on any given year, however in 2018, it’s a flat-out travesty considering the quality and level of filmmaking which the movie world has been blessed with. Any notion that film is losing position to TV as the premier form of storytelling, or that the practice of streaming is destroying the medium are firmly squashed when looking at last year’s crop of voices and styles which flowed through movie screens. Sure, the brave rescue of stranded WWII soldiers, an emotional gay love story and a mother’s unwavering fight for justice have all proven involving and skilled pieces of film which have rightfully earned their place at tonight’s ceremony. But here are 13 other forgotten titles of last year, all of which are intriguing and diverting examples of film more than deserving of that elusive 10th Best Picture nomination.
Personal Shopper
Director Olivier Assayas faced one of the biggest challenges as a director following the release of 2015’s Clouds of Sils Maria; namely finding a worthy follow-up to one of the year’s most magnetic and acclaimed films. Yet the director managed it with this haunting and human tale of a American Maureen (Kristen Stewart) living and working in Paris as a personal shopper to a high-profile celebrity. Supposed signs from her deceased twin brother, coupled with the murder of her boss threaten to send Maureen over the edge as her grip on sanity begins to slip. While much of the film’s praise has been (rightfully) directed at Stewart’s astounding work, Personal Shopper is much more than a showcase for its leading actress. The film is a trip into the maddening sense of isolation in a big city as well as a comment on the power of technology. Yet the heart of Personal Shopper is a ghost story powered by the unique bond that exists between siblings and its ability to continue long after death.
Norman
Richard Gere continues to re-define his screen persona, gathering more acclaim as the title character in Norman. A tragi-comedy if there ever was one, Joseph Cedar’s film sees Gere playing Norman Oppenheimer, a wannabe New York “fixer” who goes the greatest of efforts in order to be recognized by the likes of top businessmen and high-ranking officials. There’s something so quietly thrilling about Norman as a film, especially in the relentless desperation of its main character as he goes to rather unbelievable lengths to fulfill the promises he makes to virtually everyone he comes into contact with. At the same time, it’s that type of desperation which also gives the film its sadness as the audience watches this shell of a man silently crumbling away while holding onto any bit of approval and validation from those he longs to be associated with. Besides being a stark character piece, Norman proves powerful enough that its audience finds themselves re-evaluating their own morality in a way which skillfully comes across as philosophical rather than preachy.
Wakefield
The combined talents of E.L. Doctorow and Nathaniel Hawthorne are translated to the screen by writer/director Robin Swicord in the beautiful and dreamy Wakefield. Starring an Oscar-worthy Bryan Cranston as a Howard Wakefield, a New York businessman by day and a suburban dad by night. On his way home one night, Howard decides not to enter his house, but rather hide out in the upstairs attic above the garage and remain there as he watches his wife (Jennifer Garner), family and friends try to uncover his disappearance. On the surface, it would be easy to see Howard as a selfish individual who takes delight in putting his loved ones through the emortional ringer. Yet Swicord goes beyond that aspect by thoughtfully exploring the character’s motivations behind his actions; namely retracing the steps which led to Howard losing the essence of who he was. The result is a quiet, elegant and literary film filled with moments of great visual beauty and deep reflection.
The Beguiled
Sofia Coppola reaffirmed her status as one of the most stirring female directors in the business with her remake of the Clint Eastwood drama The Beguiled. Set during the Civil War, the film focuses on a group of girls (including Kirsten Dunst, Elle Fanning, Anjourie Rice) and their headmistress (Nicole Kidman) as they reluctantly let a wounded enemy soldier (Colin Farrell) recover at their abandoned school house with dark consequences. Every aspect of this film cannot help but be spellbinding including the eerie lack of music, the dreamy cinematography, the magnetic performances and the exquisite screenplay all of which work to make a truly gothic cinematic experience. Yet what makes The Beguiled soar is how Coppola goes beyond making just a feminist statement and instead explores the deepest levels of human desire and survival to such a quiet extreme that one leaves wondering: Who is the most beguiled in The Beguiled?
Baby Driver
When Edgar Wright walked away from directing Ant-Man to see his long-gestating pet project come to fruition, many considered him to be one of the most foolish men in the business…until they saw Baby Driver. The story of a young getaway driver named Baby (Ansel Elgort) under the thumb of a menacing crime boss (Kevin Spacey) and his attempts to start a new life with his waitress girlfriend (Lily James) became a summer surprise hit. Wright’s re-working of the caper genre, mixing comedy, pathos, action and a killer soundtrack, showed a new and pulsating heist film unlike anything seen before. Fun supporting turns from Jon Hamm and Jamie Foxx, some of the best car chase choreography since The French Connection and a protagonist more complex than meets the eye, only add to a film whose pleasures increase with each viewing. An instantly beloved classic.
A Ghost Story
David Lowery’s meditative take on the afterlife didn’t quite become the arthouse hit many were hoping for. Nevertheless this affecting tale of a husband (Casey Affleck) who dies and comes back as a ghost to watch over his wife (Rooney Mara) left its imprint on all who saw it. A Ghost Story is rich in both storytelling tenderness and physical texture, giving the kind of sublime feeling which has made summer the perfect time for rich indies to shine. The director brings out a pair of subtle, yet committed performances from his two leads (as well as a brief tour-de-force from supporting player Will Oldham), but the beauty of Lowery’s film lies in the way it’s simple premise is peeled away to reveal a deeper comment on an individual’s time on earth and what it means to truly exist. Admittedly these are not the easiest of concepts to illustrate on the screen, yet A Ghost Story pulls it off in the most delicate fashion.
The Big Sick
If there’s one crowning achievement The Big Sick can claim as its own, it’s the fact that there is still life left in the romantic comedy. Based on the true story of star/co-writer Kumail Nanjiani and wife/co-writer Emily V. Gordon, The Big Sick centers on a Pakistani-American (Nanjiani) who re-evaluates his feelings for his ex-girlfriend (Zoe Kazan) after a serious illness sends her into a coma. Unlike A LOT of romantic comedies, The Big Sick is packed with real laughs, each one hitting home. In particular, the scene in the hospital cafeteria between Nanjiani, Ray Romano and Holly Hunter is already a new favorite for many. The performances are top and the writing is solid, especially in the moments involving the couple’s two families. Going further though, The Big Sick has rightfully earned every ounce of its countless praise for its depiction of a 21st century romance and a man torn between the culture he values and the woman he loves.
Ingrid Goes West
A mix of tragedy, comedy and document of the times, the unforgettable Ingrid Goes West took everyone by surprise with its cautionary tale of uncontrollable obsession and devotion to social media. Shortly after the death of her mother, an unstable woman (Aubrey Plaza) moves to Los Angeles where she goes to great lengths to insert herself into the life of a social media star (Elizabeth Olsen). By now, Plaza has got her gloomy social misfit character down. But Ingrid takes the crafted screen persona to a whole new level, pulling the actress into places of true darkness and hopeless desperation. Besides it’s wickedly funny screenplay, the genius of Ingrid Goes West is how not once does the film applaud its main character for her actions or root for her to take down those who stand in her way. Instead, it hones in on the inner-loneliness within her and makes us question what we value and how much it gives us back in return.
mother!
No film was more eagerly anticipated, and eventually reviled, than Darren Aronofsky’s mother! The story of a young woman (Jennifer Lawrence), her poet husband (Javier Bardem) and the mysterious couple (Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer) who invades their home had the makings of a suspense-filled chamber horror piece. What ended up on the screen was a phantasmagorical comment on the horrors of modern-day society which its very own director described as his personal “rage-filled cry.” mother! ended up dividing all who saw it, with some criticizing its biblical allegories and others endlessly deciphering its many hidden meanings. The film’s reception meant that even those who loved the film were too scared to put such a bold and audacious piece of work forward for any major awards, leaving mother! more or less shut out while it awaits re-discovery as the visionary work of cinema it genuinely is.
Wonderstruck
The idea of Todd Haynes bringing an acclaimed children’s novel to the screen is nothing short of a head-scratcher for cinephiles familiar with the arthouse director’s work. Yet the helmer of Far From Heaven and Carol turned in his most thoughtful offering to date with this tale of two children in different decades who travel to New York City in search for answers to their pasts. The way Haynes recreated the iconic city in both the 1920s and 1970s is a marvel as he manages to captures the specific look and feel permeating New York culture in both eras. Yet it’s how the director looks at the world under the gauze of childhood and what it says about humanity where Wonderstruck finds its soul. While some may find the switching between decades and the use of subtitles (both children in the film are deaf) a little off-putting, they are ultimately rewarded with what proves to be a gentle and mesmerizing tale of finding home.
The Killing of a Sacred Deer
How could writer/director Yorgos Lanthimos possibly top The Lobster, his attention-getting surrealist take on romance and one of the most acclaimed films of 2015? By offering up this deeply unsettling tale about a family. When a doctor (Colin Farrell) finds himself befriending the son (Barry Keoghan) of a patient who died on his operating table, his wife (Nicole Kidman) approves. However things soon go downhill when the young man proclaims that one of the doctor’s children must be sacrificed as a form of justice for his father’s death. There’s nothing about The Killing of a Sacred Deer which doesn’t feel stark, particularly the heightened reality in which it takes place in. The performances (especially Keoghan’s) are fearsome, the music jarring, the camera movements inventive and the ending proves to be one of the most excruciating sequences of the year in this unorthodox view of the power of the familial bond.
The Disaster Artist
Since its debut, The Room has occupied a space in movie history as half-cult classic, half-urban legend, especially when it comes to its creation and the man behind it. It’s the story behind “the best worst film ever made” which is the basis for James Franco’s The Disaster Artist. Franco directs and stars as Tommy Wiseau, the mysterious figure who, frustrated with being unable to make it in Hollywood, decides to write, direct, produce and star in a drama titled The Room. What follows is a chronicle of the offbeat Wiseau as seen through the eyes of best friend and co-star Greg Sestero (Dave Franco). So much of The Disaster Artist is pure “you gotta see it to believe it” moments, especially in Franco’s brilliant interpretation of the film’s main figure. Ultimately though, it’s the film’s testament to the love of filmmaking and the perseverance of dreams which drives The Disaster Artist to be one of the year’s most dynamic offerings.
Molly’s Game
The true story of the media-dubbed “poker princess” seemed like an odd choice for celebrated screenwriter Aaron Sorkin’s directorial debut. Yet this tale of a former Olympic hopeful turned high-stakes poker hostess Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain) couldn’t have been made by anyone else. Sorkin’s dialogue, both familiar and unpredictable, is present in all it’s rapid-fire glory. However it’s the way the first-time director lays out the story, cutting back and forth between the highs and lows of Molly’s journey, from hosting a game featuring top Hollywood figures and wealthy businessmen, to her unwilling association with the Russian mob, to her recollection of events to the lawyer (Idris Elba) representing her when federal charges are brought forward, which makes Molly’s Game soar. Featuring excellent supporting turns from Kevin Costner and Michael Cera, Molly’s Game is a highly accomplished directorial debut and truly one of the year’s best.
With the majority of current Best Picture nominees each standing a good chance at taking home the gold tonight, the ceremony will certainly be worth tuning in to for reasons other than seeing if Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway can correct last year’s now-infamous blunder. Whether nominated or not, the films up for the awards and the the ones listed here have all ventured into new and thought-provoking realms of storytelling which have come to redefine cinema in new and exciting ways. Needless to say, whichever title gets crowned, it’s the film world, the movie lovers and the cinephiles, who have taken home the top prize the industry has to offer.
