In this weekly feature from Murtada we follow Oscar contender appearances and interviews. After taking a week off, contenders are back to the grind for Phase 2.
Supporting Actress
The warmest presence on the Oscar campaign trail is undoubtedly Octavia Spencer. She’s as delightful in interviews and appearance as her Hidden Figures character is on screen, except of course when she’s dealing with Kirsten Dunst’s racist boss. No wonder she’s so popular. On Twitter she acknowledged her nomination by mentioning not only her director and producers, but also her friends from The Help (and fellow nominees this season) Viola Davis and Emma Stone. Then she went further in by congratulating Barry Jenkins, Ava DuVernay, Dev Patel and Denzel washington. How lovely is she?
This week she was honored as Woman of the Year by Harvard’s Hasty Pudding Theatricals group. She looked delighted throughout the parade through the streets of Cambridge, to the roast and the presentation of the traditional prize, the pudding pot. That pot, she quipped, was harder to get than an Oscar...
That pot was hard to get. It was difficult to get, but it was one that will be forever indelibly etched in my memories. This has just been so much fun today.
Foreign Language Film
It seems we can’t escape from the current occupant of the White House even when following Oscar news. This week we got our first boycott of the ceremony and it was in response to the executive order announcing a visa ban against refugees and others from certain African and Middle Eastern countries as a precaution against terrorism. Or so he claimed. Taraneh Alidoosti, who stars in Asghar Farhadi’s foreign language nominee The Salesman, announced on social media that she's skipping the Oscars next month because “Trump's visa ban for Iranians and others is a racist move and unacceptable”. We certainly agree with her that it’s blatantly racist and as with every decision he makes self serving, since none of the predominantly Muslim countries in which he has business ties are on this ban list.
Best Actress
Meanwhile in the marquee category, the hard sell continues. SAG could decide once and for all this Sunday who the winner is. Most think it will be Emma Stone, who continues her non stop press tour. Not only was she on the cover of Vanity Fair this week, but scored yet another cover, The Hollywood Reporter. In the accompanying interview she talked about the long, seemingly never-ending campaign.
I've never been part of anything like it. I mean, we went to Venice with Birdman, but nothing like this. This is a new world. I'm not complaining because I love this film — it's fun to talk about it — but I've been doing interviews about this movie for almost six months.
Natalie Portman though is not taking it lying down. She joined Stone on the front fold of the Vanity Fair cover. Then she one-upped everyone with her photo inside the magazine, showing her in all her pregnant glory. Hey use all the arsenal you have. It’s a striking and memorable photo, even if it has been done before by VF and Annie Leibovitz.
Ever the magnanimous team player - remember her Oscar speech in which she thanked everyone from her director and co-stars to the camera operator and her dressers - Portman released one of the better thank you statements on nominations day. She not only mentioned her fellow Jackie nominees Mica Levi and Madeleine Fontaine and their director Pablo Larrain, but also the other best actress nominees by name.
I am also humbled to join Isabelle, Meryl, Ruth and Emma — all incredibly accomplished women I admire very much.
Emma and Natalie are working hard for the win. Your move, Isabelle.