Annette and Sonia: Considering Two Snubs
Wednesday, February 22, 2017 at 3:33PM 
Robert here. With this weekend's Oscars closing up the film year, can we take one final minute and dive into two performances that have been given the prestigious honor of being declared snubbed by the academy? That'd be, namely, Annette Bening in 20th Century Women and Sonia Braga in Aquarius (who are both nominated in Nathaniel's own awards; Braga was runner up for Best Actress in the 2016 Team Experience Awards).
Some minor spoilers and possibly very unpopular opinions after the jump...
There was talk of 20th Century Women getting Annette Bening her long overdue Oscar pretty much since the film's conception. While I truly don't relish being a contrarian, after finally seeing the movie, I don't think it is a film worthy of Bening's belated golden coronation.
While the beloved actress is very good in the movie, her character is the weakest of the three titular women and at times I felt she was relying on a familiar bag of tricks to compensate. Dorothea is a classic example of a character who mostly exists as another pair of hands to keep all the balls in the air. When the movie needs a plot to tie together all of its ideas, she delivers a plot, when it needs to justify the off-beat lifestyle she and her son lead, she is a free spirit, when it needs late coming final conflict, she is strict and overbearing, when it needs you to cry, she dies of cancer twenty years later. With a tighter script or more focus on her these swings in mood and motivation this portrait of a complicated woman might have worked, but as the movie stands, it felt forced and contrived to me. Bening does everything she can to bring life to the role and has many triumphs, notably her car scene with Elle Fanning, but it's hard to craft a truly great performance when the material simply isn't there.
Sonia Braga's character Clara in Aquarius is similarly at odds with herself. She is intelligent, kind, warm, condescending, curt and aloof -- sometimes all in the same scene. Unlike Mike Mills' film, full of flashbacks, flash forwards, news clips and voiceovers, Kleber Mendonça Filho's is grounded and slow. It begins with a twenty minute prologue and contains long scenes of Clara simply going about her life. The tension that drives the plot of the film – her conflict with the developers trying to buy her apartment – isn't introduced until thirty or forty minutes into the movie. Some reviewers have criticized the film for its pacing and length, but from my perspective, this allows us to fully immerse ourselves in Clara's world, which is essential to the success of the movie.
With this gift Braga is able to present a true masterclass of acting. Consider the scene in which she is pleading with her children to understand why she refuses to move out of her apartment. She turns to her gay son, who a few minutes prior she had been prodding to share pictures of his new boyfriend, and asks him to consider how he once felt -- how he knew he was right about his sexuality even though everyone else around him thought otherwise. Braga's pleading is not just sad, it is also calculating, and frustrated, and also angry. In this one scene you are able to see the entire history of their complicated relationship. All of this is written on her face and her body. It is truly masterful work that deserved more recognition this film year.
Were you feeling contrarian about either of these performances that people had been rooting for? Do you think time will be kind to the Oscar lineup as it is?
Reader Comments (38)
Time will not be kind to this lineup. Bening's performance will be remembered as one of her best, as will those of Braga, Adams, Hüller, Beckinsale and Hall.
I still haven't seen 20thCW my list looks empty without it,Braga is not exactly a snub,Rebecca Hall was in the same position as Braga a well respected turn in a movie no one really liked plus no budget for a big campaign.
What makes Bening so magnificent in 20CW is that she is constantly listening in her performance, and conveying so much in a reactive way as the other actors are speaking. Her expressiveness is remarkable as she responds to the rest of the cast, while remarking on her own reactions while she is having them. She should be winning this damn thing. Sigh.
Paul: Yeah, Huppert is the only performance of this I could see getting retrospective support. I don't think this is the decade's weakest year in this category (outside of Viola Davis, explain 2011 to me, I dare ya), but it's about on the level of 2013, another not so good year in the category overall.
Aquarius was not submitted for the Academy, so Braga and the film were inelegible.
I have to disagree with you. I thought Bening was the strongest character and acting of the three women in the movie. You make her out to be a plot device, but she's probably the character who least moves forward the plot at all.
While I kinda get where you're coming from on 20CW, I didn't see these turns in Bening's character as contrived. Rather, I think how she's portrayed is a deliberately impressionistic view from the perspective of a son looking back and realizing that while he loved her, he never quite fully understood or grasped her - partly because he was too young, partly because she eluded that kind of holistic understanding. She revealed herself only in flashes and fragments, and I think it's a fair takeaway that her core remains fundamentally unknowable.
Agree on Braga, though. She would have been worthy of a nomination as well.
@ Volvagia
Negga's work and the film itself will age very well, I think.
Your spoiler for 20th Century Women was unnecessary. The screener for that thing hasn't leaked. And practically everything has.
@lylee
I think that's a really astute point about 20thCW, but where it kind of falls apart for me are scenes like the one where she tells GG's character to tone down the feminist stuff. There's no sort of lens to view that scene through, it just happens, and it didn't feel in line with what we'd seen from the character before, just sort of something thrown in to force tension. I think that that aspect of the character could certainly be there, but the film hadn't earned that moment when it happened. It felt disjointed to me, and not in a "memory is fleeting" sort of way.
Are we already in Natalie Portman backlash mode? A fantastic performance - clearly a worthy nominee.
Robert, who would you have nominated in a dream world?
@Walter
I think my Team Experience Awards ballot was:
1. Braga
2. Portman
3. Davis
4. Huppert
5. Min-Hee
I'll stick with that for now but there would possibly be some shuffling over time.
@ Sawyer
That was a bit of a leap, considering no one mentioned Portman until you did. (FWIW: I thought it was a great performance in a year of great performances, but not in my top five.)
Trivia that makes Braga earn bonus points...
... her role in the extremely goofy and hilarious Warehouse 13 in an episode where everyone is trapped in a latin soap.
@Jesus
I'll definitely have to check that out! She'll always be Maria "You want fireworks?! I'll show you fireworks!!" Diega Reyes to me.
Braga's performance is one of my favorites this year, and Bening's is so great in a sober, naturalistic style. Having seen Fences today i just don't understand the buzz around Viola's performance which is, in my opinion, totally wasted by Washington's terrible direction. As an actor, he did way too much, maybe thinking he was still on stage, and just like his character he didn't leave enough room to other actors to exist (Viola's big scene was wasted by the bad editing, reminding me of Julia Roberts' big moment in Osage County). Anyway ..... that's just my feeling for today...
Bening and Braga are my #1 and #2 of the year, and their movies are #3 and #7, respectively. Aquarius sadly wasn't eligible, but the Oscars never would have opened up for her. I adored Aquarius as a long winded production of determination and standing one's ground. Christine was all about Hall's performance, but the movie was forgettable.
Also @Robert Balkovich, I found the feminism scene to fall in line with the gradual degradation of Bening's plan to share raising her son. What she saw as a progressive idea from her Depression era upbringing, she was not prepared for the vastly changed ideals of Gerwig's and Fanning's characters' much younger generation. She had a similar disconnect as she had with her son that sparked her encouragement of Julie and Abbie's intervention. Dorothea came of age pre-WWII, far before the Feminine Mystique and women's lib of the 60s, but Julie and Abbie were the children of these times. I believe it's the separation of first and second wave feminism, where conflicting worldview comes into play, similar how we see second and third wave feminist clash nowadays.
Christine had 2 belter of supporting actress performances though by J Smith Cameron and Maria Dizzia.
Robert, enjoyed reading your take. I do disagree on Annette. I thought she wove the contradictions into a full characterization, and the contradictions felt like the real kind that real people have all the time but that we rarely see in movie characters. I liked that you couldn't easily put her character into a box, but all the responses felt true as assayed by Annette.
I think that if we had Annette and Amy Adams in the Streep and Negga slots, this year's Actress slate would have been one of our strongest ever. I think Streep and Negga are both very very good, but not the equal of the A girls this year. I think Stone, Portman, and of course Huppert will all weather time very well for their work.
I need to see the Braga...you've inspired me!
Sonia Braga completely stunned me in Aquarius. A beautiful powerful performance. But there is no superior to Isabelle this year. Elle is the type of performance that will enter the pantheon.
We can't even talk about this year's snubs without AMY ADAMS IN ARRIVAL!!!
Anyway, if Julianne Moore won for Still Alice and Paul Newman won for The Color of Money, then why couldn't Annette won for this film? It's the campaign's fault for not bringing her overdue status into more spotlight. She easily could have won. It is the usual overdue win for not worthy roles.
@ Craver
Adams' snub mentioned in the very first comment. ;-)
Rebecca Hall's snub for Christine is what really stung the most for me. The fact that the Indie Spirits, now more concerned with recognizing likely Oscar nominees than achievements in low budget films, failed to recognized her made me sad.
I watched 20th Century Women today. I don't get the love. Bening was the best of a mediocre movie. Best of mediocre = not worthy of a nomination. Get over your love for her. If, and when (doubtful) she ever gives a performance worthy of a Grifters follow-up, then maybe you can tout her as overlooked. I really wanted to hate this movie, but I found it adequate. As for the love for Fanning and Gerwig.... both have done better. I'm even surprised the movie nabbed a screenplay nom. Not one of my top 20 of the year).
I don't think the actress lineup this year was weak at all - there was just a plethora of terrific female performances in the running: Bening, Braga, Adams, Beckinsale, Huller, Steinfeld, Chastain, etc.
This isn't the embarrassment of 2011 where you DID have some stunning performances that were all superior to the final five. Tilda, Paquin, Theron, Colman, Dunst, Binoche, Adepero were all sublime. And we got Glenn Close in Albert Nobbs and Michelle Williams in Marilyn. Ugh.
Portman's performance is stupendous and I think her film will be reevaluated positively in the future. Elle and Huppert's performance are way ahead of their time and we will look back and think "how in the hell did she get nominated? Thank god the Academy saw her genius!" Negga's work is a slow-burner, but I think people will look back on it positively.
Meryl's performance: no. Stone is delightful, but I'm afraid she's heading for a Paltrow/Helen Hunt backlash and she doesn't deserve it.
I am totally fine with the 5 nominees.
I have not seen 20th century yet but I want to esp. because I'm such a fan of Gerwig and the cast. BUT Beginners (great cast aside) was very overpraised. so I may feel the same with this one- we'll see. Fingers crossed.
I disagree...Bening's performance was sublime in ALL of her scenes. Having watched Aquarius recently, I was in awe of Braga's performance, more than that of the other nominees save Huppert. Her talk of John Lennon in that interview scene alone was worth the price of admission. I also managed to catch Fences which I thought was stagey and bombastic (in the wrong way). And I certainly don't find Viola's turn as surefire award-worthy as many here do. It's something I have seen from her before and it didn't surprise me much as I'd wanted to be surprised.
I cant decide wich snub hurts more, annette or amy...damn you academy
No, Jono. Never
It's literally painful how much better Huppert is than her fellow nominees. Such a disappointing lineup considering yet again what a wonderful and complétive year it was for the category.
The Bening snub hurts a lot. If Huppert is not your Best Actress win, the only other answers I will accept are Annette Bening or Sandra Hüller. I won't even accept Sônia Braga, who is no doubt my #4. :D
1. Isabelle Huppert, Elle (& Things to Come) -- she would be my winner this year with either performance. Major, major works from a major film artist.
2. Annette Bening, 20th Century Women
3. Sandra Hüller, Toni Erdmann
4. Sônia Braga, Aquarius
5. Kim Min-Hee, The Handmaiden
My apologies go out to the following remarkable performances:
Rebecca Hall, Christine
Kate Beckinsale, Love & Friendship
Susan Sarandon, The Meddler
Amy Adams, Arrival
Call me a contrarian, because it's at least Tilda Swinton, Sacha Lane, and even Emily Blunt before I mention one of the other nominees.
Stop the backlash against Portman! She was terrific and the performance will resist the test of time since her movie was the best among the best actress contenders and people will still be talking about Larraín in 30 years. And they'll see the magnificent, superbly controlled performance that was crucial to the success of his movie.
I saw Jackie twice by now and it's SO GOOD. I love everything about it. My best performance of the year is still Sandra Huller in Toni Erdmann.
Negga is very good. What a wonderful face for the camera and those eyes! I appreciate the Academy recognizing a performance this subtle; her phone scenes are played with tremendous grace. Honestly though... the part that moved me the most were the end titles that explained what happened next. Lol
Portman is magnificent in many scenes in Jackie, especially in scenes when she's alone. She's frankly terrible in others, mainly the interview scenes with Billy Crudup. Some of her best work, some of her worst. For me, it was a full 30 minutes at least before the performance clicked at all.
Stone also suffers from the highest of highs, lowest of lows, though ultimately more consistent than Portman. (Her big "Maybe I'm not good enough!" scene is pretty meta actually).
And then there's Streep, who is literally taking up a spot as if she was the free space on a bingo card. This nomination is just insulting to Amy Adams (in her best work since Junebug) and Annette Bening (in her career best, if you ask me), as well as the other realistic competitors (Blunt and Henson). Disclaimer: I love Streep.
[CARRIE V.O.]
Meanwhile across town, Huppert is one of the greatest nominations this category has ever seen.
There was so much fantastic work from women this year, including Braga. I think any combination of the comedy and drama golden globe nominees would have made for a great line up. I think people are a bit tired of Meryl and are annoyed with her for taking up space in a competitive year, but she was very good in Florence Foster Jenkins and I think it is her best nomination of the decade.
Natalie was superb and she had the whole movie to herself, but Emma Stone and Ruth Negga actually did more with what they had. Huppert was phenomenal and one of the greatest ever, but it was a miracle she was nominated.
"Film Stars Don't Die in London" - watch for it later this year - Bening plays a dying Gloria Grahame. Wow! Imagine the possibilities. 2018 could be Annette's year - especially after being overlooked this year. Gloria Graham - fantastically nuts! and pair that with her dying!!!! 2+2=Bening Oscar.
@Robert - but that film did make sense. She's lashing out because she's lost control - the values she so prized as a woman and mother aren't working anymore, so she enlisted the help of those two women and now her son is being beaten up because of their (specifically Greta's) influence. Of COURSE this woman will be mad and protective that her son got hurt and of course she's going to try to find a way to gain control of the situation.
I love the performance and so wish she got nominated. I have a feeling Adams came in 6th, Henson in 7th (her film was a huge success, peaking at just the right moment) and Bening came in 8th.
I thoroughly agree with you. Sonia Braga stunned us by bringing Clara to life, and superbly. What a magnificent performance. She should have been nominated for an Oscar. I daresay her work surpassed all of the others, including Huppert's. However, "Aquarius' was not submitted and I wonder if that was another maneuver to get it out of the Oscar race as a punishment for protesting against the current government in Brazil.