The Oscar Week
Friday, December 16, 2016 at 3:15PM
In this weekly feature from Murtada we will follow the Oscar contenders and examine how their many interviews and appearances impact their chances. This week we check in with Ryan Gosling, Viola Davis, Pedro Almodovar and Annette Bening.
Ryan Gosling
Gosling is trying to catch up with co-star Emma Stone who’s been promoting La La Land while he was away shooting Blade Runner 2049. He also trying to catch up with Casey Affleck and Denzel washington who’ve established themselves as the frontrunners in Best Actor. Last week he got his hands and footprints immortalized. This week he gets his first solo magazine cover - he's been in a couple with Stone - of the season in GQ. Gosling thinks the his appeal and the popularity of the Hey Girl meme are because … he’s Canadian?
I think it’s part of…um…America just finally realizing that there’s a place called Canada. That it’s nearby. And the people there are, you know, different but the same. And not just America’s hat. We have free health care, education.” So you’re saying that what people see as perfect boyfriend material is actually…? My Canadianness.
Viola Davis
What does a frontrunner in their category do to keep the momentum going? They don’t need to hustle with many appearances and meaningless awards - since the nomination and even win - seem assured. Whatever they do though has to be high impact. Like Viola Davis’ in depth The New Yorker profile. The profile chronicles Davis’ life and career shedding light on her upbringing, what drives her and calls Fences “the best performance of her career”. That's the kind of endorsement needded to cement that frontrunner status.
The profile also recounts the many moments we remember from and about Viola, like Meryl Streep’s “Give her a movie” rallying cry and her own eloquent winner’s speech at the Emmy’s last year. She cites that speech as the moment she “began to pronounce herself in public”.
I didn’t think it was landing. I wasn’t so concerned with that, because my whole life I’ve been focussed on approval, on acceptance, on shame and all that. I’ve been focussed on it for so much. One day it lifted.There is no line in my life and in my spirit, but there is a line in the culture for me as a woman and me as an African-American.
We’ve always thought that she pronounced herself very well, while being cognisant of both her vaunted status and the responsibility it brings. Looking forward to her many speeches this season that will definitely become highlights.
Pedro Almodovar
Julietta was blanked by Oscar’s Foreign Language Committee which means Almodovar’s best chance now lies in the Adapted Screenplay category. It’s apt then that he was part of the THR’s Writers Roundtable. He talks about how different Julietta became once he ditched his original plan to make it in English with Meryl Streep.
Julieta would be completely different if I did it in English. Once I decided to make the adaptation in Spain and in the Spanish culture and language, I changed a lot. I really even forgot the original short stories by Alice Munro [the book is based on her work] for a simple [reason]: In Spain, there's a guilty complex or the sentiment of guiltiness. And the family culture here [in America] is very different from the Spanish family culture. The language pushed me to do it in a very different way.
He’s right of course, Julieta could’ve been called Guilt the Movie. That’s how pervasive guilt is in its themes and story, which is of course very Almodovar-ian and why we love the movie.
Annette Bening
There’s no better way to drum up enthusiasm for a performance than getting one’s co-stars to proclaim how marvelous you are. Greta Gerwig goes the extra mile for her 20th Century Women colleague, Annette Bening, telling Today that Annette should get an exception as an American and be proclaimed a Dame. Watch starting at the minute mark.
A Damehood would be great for Annette, but how about we get her that fifth Oscar nod first, SAG notwithstanding.
Reader Comments (19)
Gerwig has also been stumping for her friend and co-star Portman, even in that interview. Quite the balancing act.
a) Ryan can catch up
b) Viola's win is a surefire
c) Our beloved Annette will certainly rebound - though i was devestated by the sag snub, i'm feeling more and more optimistic
d) Pedro won't rebound - not this year
Is it wrong if I feel that Naomie Harris is much stronger than Viola Davis in Fences. I mean Viola is awesome in the movie, but I get "I've seen you do that before vibes" from that performance. Did anyone else get that?
Viola Davis has only been nominated for period pieces. Since she's a black woman the restrictions on blacks and women of the bygone era limits the shading of those stories. I'm sure Fences is better than The Help and Doubt performance wise from her.
@Jeb I couldn't agree with you more, Naomie Harris deserves to win supporting actress, her performance is outstanding.
3rtful I totally agree about Viloa and they films are in the same time in history,I get a sense of Mrs Miller the extended edition from Fences,i KNOW SHE CAN CRY N SNOT WITH THE BEST AND PLAY A STRUGGLING WOMAN,I wish she would be nominated for a modern original character Black American Woman,show us the struggle to be black,female and over 50 in America now,I somehow don't see her Oscar changing that but maybe it's a little step.
I don't think Viola can really do anything at this point to lose that Oscar. Good on her. She needs to claim that best actress Oscar at some point though.
Ryan Gosling is a real movie star in my book. Adored so much it's become boring to adore him. And we all know he's very very talented. I think he always makes it look much easier than it must have been. He's great in comedy which one cannot say about any other charming Hollywood leading men (aside from Damon and Clooney at times) and he can be devastating (Blue Valentine - anyone?). He's definitely taken for granted at this point.
And Annette Benning is the Damest of the American actresses. Very classy very intelligent actress who has an obvious eye for meaty interesting roles. never faking it despite so many of her generation ending up in occasional duds. She's one of those beyond Oscar stars if you ask me.
This Oscar season is shaping up to be like this year: horrible.
Gosling is so casually sexy...
I doubt Ryan will pose a threat to either Casey or Denzel, but I am glad to see him in the race again after 10 years for such a wonderful performance.
Speaking of wonderful performances I hope Annette will come through for the nomination after the snub from SAG.
I believe street said to "give Viola a movie" at here SAG acceptance speech for "doubt" - correction.
Bugs me that Gosling was snubbed by Oscar for Blue Valentine and Lars. Hopefully not again
I think I understand what Ryan Gosling meant by the above statement; he's describing his appeal as something familiar (which makes it comforting) but just slightly different (which makes it exciting and new).
I disagree as I think the average Canadian and the average American are more similar than either one would expect (or want).
Bening deserves a damehood tt's for sure, but Meryl will likely get it 1st if its awarded!! lol
Maybe there will be a SAG upset w Gosling & Stone both winning?? haha
@Jeb and @Brett: I love u both for say the thing that I'm thinking with myself and can't prove até the moment because Fences don't have a premiere fate in my country (Brazil).
But since I saw the trailer I was with the feeling u both describe.
That's everything for me.
Jeb, Brett and Jon - Harrs is fantastic but so is Viola. I think Fences - particularly the last few sequences of it - are her best work on screen ever. While early on she gives us the highly emotional work we've come to expect from her, later on she's surprises with new subtle shades. I think she wins on merit.
@murtada Thanks ;)
I want a critics' group to award Viola for Supporting Actress for Fences AND Suicide Squad, just for the giggles.
i would love to see annette rebound. her performance in 20th century women is truly flawless. and, she executes it with so much depth. brava, annette!