by Nathaniel R
Later today a special edition of the podcast as Murtada, Nathaniel and Nick discuss the Oscar nominations. But, for now, our final group survey on the nominations so we can then move on to the nitty gritty of each category as well as return to new and old movies, Film Bitch Awards, regularly scheduled programming, and all of that good stuff. We asked the team two more questions about the nominations and they answered like so. Please let your own voice be heard in the comments.
WHAT NOMINATION GAVE YOU THE MOST JOY TUESDAY MORNING?
JORGE MOLINA: I woke up my entire neighborhood when Marina de Tavira's name was called out. I was expecting a surprise Supporting Actress nomination, but not her. Marina's performance is such a striking and beautiful contrast to Yalitza Aparicio's (whose nomination was a lesser but equally great surprise), and one that reflects much deeper things about female and class relationships in the movie. It's not a big performance, but it's so nuanced and raw. I couldn't be happier she's getting the recognition, and that she's only the second supporting actress to be nominated for a foreign film ever! Viva Marina!
CHRIS FEIL: No single craftsperson deserves their nomination (or eventual win) more than costume designer Ruth E. Carter (Black Panther). I don't make the facts, I just relay them...
Hale County, This Morning, This EveningAMIR SOLTANI: I can't quite choose between Yorgos Lanthimos for best director (who, a few years ago, would have been the last director I would predict for such mainstream success and industry embrace) or Hale County This Morning, This Evening, which, although by no means my favourite film (or even doc) of the year, is such a singular, visionary film that I can't help but rejoice. Its nomination shows the adventurous, bold direction that the documentary branch could be moving in the future.
SALIM GARAMI: The surprise appearances of Cold War in both Director and Cinematography slates warms my heart, which is probably necessary after the way the movie ended.
MURTADA ELFADL: This was the year I fell in love with Rachel Weisz anew. It’s fantastic when an actor is rewarded for upping their game and getting their career up a rung. We are in the middle of a Weiszanance and most of us don’t even realize it.
DANCIN' DAN: When Yorgos Lanthimos's name was read, it was all I could do to not burst into a solo version of Rachel Weisz and Joe Alwyn's court dance from The Favourite in celebration.
BEN MILLER: I was waiting for an inevitable shunning of Can You Ever Forgive Me?, but it picked up all the three big nominations it deserved. Most of all, Nicole Holofcener got her FIRST Oscar nomination. How is that possible? This is the female equivalent of Paul Schrader getting his first. She should have at least three by now.
MARK BRINKERHOFF: Mr. Mary Beth Hurt, Paul Schrader. Bar none. This man should have multiple *wins* already (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull), so the fact that he now has his *first* ever Oscar nomination is gratifying/rectifying.
ERIC BLUME: Seeing both Yorgos Lanthimos and Pawel Pawlikowski in the Best Director race is thrilling. These are two of the most daring, exciting, and deeply interesting filmmakers working today, and they both delivered stunning films this year.
SEAN MCGOVERN: Richard E. Grant's supporting nomination for CYEFM? As I previously wrote in my FYC, this man has repeatedly been giving us joy time and again in every small and substantial role he's taken. I have no bones about straight actors being rewarded for playing gay if this is how good they can do it. That, and also I kind of always thought Richard E. Grant was gay, oops.
NATHANIEL R: I'm going to say Sam Elliott. When I first saw A Star is Born in September I assumed this enduring well liked character actor who has a half century of fine work behind him would become the lockiest of locks and a threat to win the gold. That definitely didn't pan out in the precursors so I felt not just joy but sweet relief when his name was called. Like the man himself said hearing the news "It's about fucking time."
SPENCER COILE: Minding the Gap is one of the most thoughtful, reflexive, and (somehow) life-affirming documentaries I’ve seen in recent years. I really hope this motivates people to watch it in flocks now!
WHAT OSCAR BRANCHES DID THE BEST & WORST JOB PICKING THEIR NOMINATION AND WHAT WILL YOU GIFT THEM TO SHOW YOUR APPRECIATION?
SEAN MCGOVERN: It sometimes feels hard to commend choices that seem obvious, so with that in mind I'll single out Director this year. I absolutely think Marielle Heller deserved to be there but that fact that it finally includes Spike Lee and European auteurs like Lanthimos and Pawlikowski makes it tolerable that Adam McKay is included.
MARK BRINKERHOFF: Cinematography did, by far, the best. Editing did, by far, the worst. May the cinematographers enjoy the gift of gorgeous black-and-white photography and fish-eye lenses. For the film editors, may they be visited by the ghost of Sally Menke, to teach them what good film editing is actually all about.
One of Black Panther's many expressive sets
CHRIS FEIL: Best: The Production Design branch came up with an enviably wide range of genres, eras, and creative points of view. Quite difficult to argue taking any of these away for what would have been likely replacements. Worst: Perhaps it's just the convergence of the three demons of this Oscar lineup, but guys what the hell is going on in the Best Editing category? With much respect to BlacKkKlansman's spryness and The Favourite's arresting dissolves, this is the weakest Editing lineup in ages, with those three other nominees awarded for what is one of all of their worst compositional qualities.
AMIR SOLTANI: That Best Actress category is quite something, but applauding the acting branch would require me to embrace the other three acting categories as well. So instead, I'll tip my hat to the production designers, who managed to select an eclectic, varied and generally excellent crop of nominees. I would also like to hurl eggs and rotten tomatoes in the direction of Editors whose selections betrays an incredible amount of laziness in reverting to the best picture frontrunners without regard for the art of editing at all.
DANCIN' DAN: What films did the Editing branch watch this year? That lineup is 40% great, 20% fine, and 40% WTF. But ya know what? I'm feeling generous: They all get a trip to space camp so they can sit in the corner stall of the bathroom after a turn in the gyroscope and think about what they did to First Man's virtuosic, you-are-there feat of editing.
SPENCER COILE: For their Black Panther inclusion and their Sandy Powell double-nom, the Costuming branch (particularly the nominees) should get a photo on that jet-ski Mark Bridges won last year for Phantom Thread. This is more for me than for them, but I’d like a one page essay from each member of the Editing branch about what good editing is to them. Because I’ve been staring at the list of nominees for about 10 minutes and I still don’t quite understand what it all means.
JORGE MOLINA: As always, actresses do it better, but we all knew that. The directing category could have gone very, very wrong with the contenders that were in the mix, but the Yorgos inclusion and surprise Pawel nomination in lieu of someone like Peter Farrelly was a great relief. And I'm very glad the writers finally recognized people like Nicole Holofcener and Paul Schrader, even if they overlooked people like Bo Burnham -- there goes my hopes of seeing him in a tuxedo.
EUROCHEESE: At first I thought the de Tavira nod or Lanthimos landing in Director made me happiest, but after further reflection, Spike Lee's nomination rights a wrong that has been sitting with the Academy for decades. The Academy likes to *eventually* get things right and finally giving the most prominent African-American auteur his due is truly a wonderful thing. They may be late to the party, but I'm glad they showed up.
SALIM GARAMI: In a surprise turn, Best Director slate is revealed to only have four nominees and ends up being the best constructed for this ceremony with two foreign-language filmmakers in Cuaron and Pawlikowski, the comeback Spike Lee has been needing for years, and the weird Lanthimos finally breaking through and recognized for his idiosyncracies. I will show the Academy my appreciation by disregarding that glitch during announcements where Adam McKay showed up somehow before reverting to this slate's perfect state.
MURTADA ELFADL: There is always one pesky nomination in almost every category that just stings. Having said that I’ll raise a hat to the directors branch! Adam McKay aside, they gave us a good list and renewed hope by snubbing Green Book and complicating its march to a possible best pic win. By passing on Bradley Cooper they give fire to his best actor campaign. Now he can concentrate his efforts and save that category. Everyone who wants to console Cooper for missing the directing nomination can do that by voting him for best actor.
HOW WOULD YOU ANSWER THESE TWO QUESTIONS, READERS?
P.S. Sign up for our newsletter which we'll be relaunching this week...
Related Articles:
• 12 things we learned from the noms
• Adams vs Weisz, Round Two
• Best Picture Silliness
• Best Directors - How'd They Get Nominated?
• Deep Cut Oscar Trivia
• Mourning the Snubs
• How to Stage the Original Song Performances
• Nomination Index (individual charts still being updated)