Through Her Lens: 2014 (The 87th Oscars)

A series by Juan Carlos Ojano. Introduction / Explanation

The 87th Oscars was the season that #OscarsSoWhite was born. When all 20 acting nominees were all white,  lawyer April Reign took to Twitter to express her disappointment about the nominations. Exacerbating the issue that season was the presence/non-presence of the historical drama Selma. Despite a Best Picture nomination, the film missed nominations in all but one other category, with the most visible snubs being in Best Director (Ava DuVernay) and Best Actor (David Oyelowo). The tweets and hashtag prompted a snowballing industry-wide discussion on the lack of representation and racism at the Academy Awards and in Hollywood in general.

The lack of Oscar nomination for DuVernay, despite critical acclaim and Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice nominations, continue the then-long streak of female directors missing out in the Best Director category. Out of the 320 films included in the Reminder List of Eligible Films in 2014 (87th Academy Awards), only 40 (12.5%) were directed/co-directed by women...

OSCAR-NOMINATED FEMALE-DIRECTED FILMS (in alphabetical order): Beyond the Lights,  The Bigger Picture*,  Citizenfour, Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1*, Joanna*, Me and My Moulton*, Parvaneh*,  Selma, and Unbroken. (*not in the eligibility list for Best Picture)

AN ALTERNATIVE SET OF FIVE

Claudia Sainte-Luce - The Amazing Catfish
There is no single way to face mortality. It is often a laborious ordeal with multiple paths available to a person, sometimes even at the same time. Sainte-Luce brings that complexity and more in this story of a friendship between Claudia, a lonely woman, and Martha, a single mother of four dying of AIDS. What is really striking is how she depicts the highly specific in-family rhythm and how Claudia slowly assimilates in that new habitat. The film showcases multi-faceted familial dynamics with emotional sophistication that allows Sainte-Luce to do tonal shifts with utmost grace. It is deceptively tricky but loaded with nuance and detail. Ultimately, the film’s closing montage is a touching denouement to a film as emotionally rich as this. Available to rent and buy on iTunes, Amazon Video, Google Play, and YouTube.

Laura Poitras - Citizenfour
In this documentary that plays out like a real-life thriller, Poitras brings whistleblower Edward Snowden at the forefront as he exposes the worldwide surveillance practices done by the National Security Agency (NSA). Incremental in its build-up, Poitras lays out the several layers of context and information that would lead us to Snowden. The tension is simmering yet it never reaches full boil until we actually meet the whistleblower. And when we finally do, Poitras refuses to make her filmmaking obtrusive. In mostly long, uninterrupted takes, Poitras absorbs the moment. The understanding that these interviews would be the beginning of a domino effect is not lost and is reflected in the patience that these scenes were captured. This is history being captured on camera in real time. Streaming on Roku, The Criterion Channel, Tubi TV, Pluto TV, and IMDb TV.

Hélène Giraud & Thomas Szabo - Minuscule: Valley of the Lost Ants
Directors Giraud and Szabo invite us into the Lilliputian world of a ladybug as he is caught in the middle of a war for sugar cubes between black and red ants. An adventure film in the truest sense, the film activates one’s sense of wonderment through immersion. It highlights how the constricted viewpoint we see magnifies the environment of the characters and their interaction with it. With its lack of dialogue, the film then thrusts us in identifying with its characters through sheer trust in its audiovisual storytelling. What comes out is a film that, for its cast of characters, is filled with unexpected moments of humanity. The climactic battle sequence displays a clear-eyed fantasy that Giraud and Szabo were able to create. The stakes are clear narrative-wise, but the genius is in never letting it drown in self-seriousness. What a treat. Streaming on Prime Video.

Gillian Robespierre - Obvious Child
At the center of this romantic comedy is a stand-up comedienne with an unplanned pregnancy. In Robespierre’s guiding hands, the story spotlights the protagonist’s rough edges with unapologetic empathy. Humor only works well if it is deeply rooted in character and the film manages to always locate the character’s headspace externalized in deeply uncomfortable moments. Various moments see her filming Jenny Slate’s acerbic performance with an eye that pushes the character to her limits without losing sensitivity. The protagonist sets out on two journeys - one of romance, one of abortion - and these two strands are weaved with clarity that makes her arc even more striking. Even in the moments of heavier drama, the film never loses track of its tonal balance. Streaming on fuboTV, Showtime, Hoopla, Kanopy, and DirecTV.

Ava DuVernay - Selma
DuVernay revisits the Civil Rights Movement era to bring to life the eventful days of Dr. Martin Luther King’s marches from Selma to Montgomery to fight for voting rights. In the film’s quest for the truth, she keeps both a masterful control in the staging of scenes while allowing its emotional undercurrents to explode in the most devastating moments. It is in this directorial contradiction  that DuVernay situates the overall storytelling of the film that gives it vitality and boldness. A violent dispersal at a peaceful march speaks more volumes because the stylistic choices avoids becoming predictable. Gospel song, slow motion, higher frame rate, cross-cutting. Chaos and clarity, fragmented yet united. America is encapsulated in that moment. DuVernay understands that and achieves it with sterling precision. Available to rent and buy on various platforms. 

HONORABLE MENTIONS

• Catherine Breillat - Abuse of Weakness
• Amma Asante - Belle
• Gina Prince-Bythewood - Beyond the Lights
• Claudia Myers - Fort Bliss
• Kelly Reichardt - Night Moves

What would your dream ballot look like from 2014?

Previous Episodes: 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | Introduction / Explanation

Comments

[Joe G.]

Obvious Child is a film that works so well and is really tricky to pull off.

I hated Citzenfour, though understand the love for it. I just think Poitras' storytelling choices predictable. She also maintains an odd closeness with both of her subjects, all while making a very smug film.

While I get why the academy nominated Bennett Miller, I'll never understand how Tyldum made it in. I'm guessing a big part of it was the Harvey effect on the campaign, which unfortunatley kept folks like Duvernay out, not to mention Fincher.

[ScottC]

Off the old list keep Inarittu and Anderson, definitely add Dan Gilroy for Nightcrawler, and then I think maybe I'd add Gina Prince-Bythewood for Beyond the Lights and the Dardennes for Two Days, One Night? But Robespierre is right there outside of the 5 for me (along with Szifron for Wild Tales).