Continuing our Oscar Volley series at The Film Experience. This morning Glenn Dunks and Ben Miller on Makeup and Hair.
Ben Miller: Alright Glenn, let's get into one of the more fun craft categories, Best Makeup and Hairstyling. This category has sometimes gravitated towards being the MOST makeup, as opposed to the best. Some presumed frontrunners include Dune, Cruella, and The Eyes of Tammy Faye. Do you have a personal preference and what do you look for in a potential nominee?
Glenn Dunks: I really like the make up and hairstyling category in theory. They are one of the most individual branches, often choosing lousy movies or those otherwise outside of the Oscar conversation strictly because they appreciate the technical work on display. I have to respect that...
But as you note, it's often still the movies with the most make up within a predetermined spectrum of genres (so, limited horror despite some of the field's most striking, memorable, iconic work). The recent springboard to five nominees was long-needed and after just two cycles has already given us some impressive nominees that would have missed (we can play hypotheticals all we like, but Suspiria should be mad they didn't expand the field one year earlier).
If we're to assume that those three you mentioned are the frontrunners—and there's no reason to believe they aren't given everything going on there—then it feels like this year's category will be more traditional than others. No Border, no Pinocchio. As frontrunners go, I wouldn't be mad at any of those three teams winning. Dune may be my favourite of the three, and Tammy Faye may be the most eye-catching (for better or worse), but I almost want to root for Cruella simply because it's so atypical of a Disney movie, something that is in rare supply these days and I want to encourage that. Ultimately, I think Nathaniel's own words are so apt for these artists: "it's so hard to know what this branch wants.". What do they want, Ben?
Ben: I don't even think they know! They had that cool alternative nominee in Titane sitting there and they didn't even shortlist it. I think this year's Makeup nominations are a bit of an afterthought and this will turn into a Dune corronation. (Despite two guild wins, two BAFTA nods, five Saturn nods, and an Emmy win, Makeup designer Donald Mowat has never been Oscar-nominated). The big advantage that film has is the sheer craft involved as well as it being A LOT. I see it as the clear frontrunner for the win.
Glenn: Yes, you are probably right. These things have something of a fate accompli about them once the wheels get in motion, but we can always remember that surprise win for Ex Machina in visual effects as if voters said a technical sweep for Mad Max needed a twist. Unfortunately for those of us who love surprises, it doesn't look like there's anything there with a whole lot of passion around it to really gather enough support. Still, I'd rather a unsurprising Dune than an embarrassing House of Gucci, a movie about beautiful people who are each made to look worse than the last.
Ben: Why do you think they threw hairstyling in the title of this category, if it is obviously still just a makeup category?
Glenn: I think the addition of 'hairstyling' was born out of internal branch pressures more than anything else.
But still, I don't think it is entirely fair to say hairstyling isn't a powerful ace up the proverbial sleeve of a film with otherwise impressive make up work. It is more of an invisible art than other mediums, but should Nightmare Alley land here, I think they can single-handedly thank whoever set Cate Blanchett's hairline ever just so. What's more a Cruella nomination will be just as much for Emma Stone's duel-toned mop of curls as it is her face spray-painted in commercialized punk slogans.
Ben: Don't forget this legendary tweet...
The Oscar should go to Lady Gaga's wig glue during the sex scene in House of Gucci because baby girl got RAILED and it didn't move a milimeter
— aphrodite lizzy (@dontcaIImyname) November 26, 2021
Glenn: That is a good tweet.
Ben: Prediction Time. If you put a gun to my head, I would think there will be four good/acceptable nominees...
- Dune
- Tammy Faye
- Cruella
- Nightmare Alley
...and then... - House of Gucci for Jared Leto's Jeffrey Tambour as Wario.
I personally am holding out hope for the remarkable makeup and hairstyles of Coming 2 America, but that's probably wishful thinking. What about you?
Glenn: I think the nominees will be...
- Cruella
- Dune
- The Eyes of Tammy Faye
- House of Gucci
....and I'm going to pick a surprise in... - No Time to Die.
Don't ask me to justify the latter. I can't really beyond why I think the others will miss. I just don't think Nightmare Alley's blood or Coming 2 America's recreations will fly, and my prediction is Cyrano will be done in by its complete absence from any conversation at all and MGM having other priorities. And as for West Side Story? Well, neck veins aren't make-up, so...
Ben: We will find out on February 8th!
Previous Oscar Volleys
• Best Film Editing
• Best Original Song