Oscar Volley: Sobbing and Fuming at the "Best Animated Feature" nominees

Team Experience will be covering the various Oscar categories in the lead up to Oscar night. Here's Tim Brayton, Cláudio Alves, and Nathaniel R...

TIM BRAYTON: Hello Nathaniel and Cláudio! I'm thrilled to have the chance to discuss this year's slate of nominees for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars with you - animation is, I think it's fair to say, the most important form of filmmaking to me, and it's always fun to share it. Whether these exact five films represent animation at its peak, well, we'll just have to get into that as we go.

A quick recap for all of us and those of you reading, here are the five nominees: Encanto, a CGI feature produced by Walt Disney Animation; Raya and the Last Dragon, a CGI feature produced by Walt Disney Animation; Luca, a CGI feature produced by Pixar Animation Studios and distributed by their corporate owners, the Walt Disney Company; The Mitchells vs the Machines, a CGI feature produced by Sony Animation, who sold it off to Netflix. And then literally on the other side of the world, Flee, a Danish documentary about politics and identity, largely consisting of interviews that were animated in a cartoony 2D style by Sun Creature Studio. So my point, obviously, is that this isn't exactly the most stylistically or industrially diverse set of nominees this category has ever produced...

Quite the opposite, in fact; even as 3D CGI animation has become by far the most commercially dominant form, the Academy's animation branch has always sought out other styles until now. There have never been four CGI films nominated in one year before (though there have been years with only three total nominees that were all CG).

From the way I'm bringing it up, you can probably guess that I don't have a whole lot of enthusiasm for this state of affairs, but I'm willing to look for the bright side of things. So let's start by temporarily putting Flee to the side as a massive outlier, and let me toss a question over your way, Cláudio: of those four CGI American studio films, which one is your favorite?

CLÁUDIO ALVES: My brattish annoyance at Disney's monopolizing ways makes me want to say The Mitchells vs. the Machines. The Netflix flick certainly beats its Disney-distributed co-nominees on the level of pure formal ingenuity and aesthetic value. It feels like a seamless marriage of 2-D textures and 3-D animation in the same vein as Into the Spider-Verse, though less graphically spectacular. The formalist in me is screaming that it's my favorite, but no, it's not. 

I first saw Encanto at a press screening in mid-November and instantly fell in love. It made me cry like a faucet, hitting very close to home in some of its observations on family dynamics and feelings of inadequacy. Moreover, it features a cast of loveable characters that are hard to resist and a cornucopia of colorful set and costume design, some of which are better rendered than the cartoon humans. Whatever exitance I still had about declaring my love for the thing irrevocably vanished around a month later, when I finally watched it again over the holidays, this time with my family.

That's not to say I'm blind to the picture's many faults. As lovely as the characters are, they all look vaguely like molded plastic, and the writing is incapable of developing them with adequate balance. It often feels messy and like the cast would be better served by a TV series than a single feature-length story. The expanded format perhaps wouldn't shortchange some of the most exciting figures quite as much as the final film does. That or the movie just needed a much nimbler screenplay. 

Having outed myself as a sentimental sop, I propose another question. Does Encanto have this in the bag, or is the race more competitive than it seems?

NATHANIEL R: The Billboard charts would have us believe that Encanto has this in the bag but we can't really know. The Annie Awards will give us a clue -- probably while we're talking -- though their winner doesn't always align with Oscars. I suppose it is possible that three Disney nominees (60% of the list? ARRRGH) means they all split the vote and Mitchells vs the Machines or Flee comes up the middle to take it but that's overthinking it.  It's more likely that Mitchells and Flee are splitting the more critically attuned vote (just as they did in critics awards), leaving an easy path for Encanto. But that's also overthinking it. Overthinking it is not what this category is about. It's all about the feels as Cláudio has just admitted!

Which is why my vote is easily for Flee. But before we go there -- no rush -- I do want to ask you, Tim, to help me understand what people saw in Raya and The Last Dragon because I am just not seeing it. I was so excited about it and it just felt so flat and flavorless and "corporate" for lack of a better word. I didn't even think the voice work was good and I like-to-love most of the actors they hired. And when the movie did perk up it sometimes felt like separate movies were in there, none of them quite emerging. I wish the visually spectacular if narratively questionable Belle or the majestic if overextended Summit of the Gods or that Golden Globe nominee which I wasn't able to find, My Sunny Maad, could've kicked it from the line up. Or better yet promote one of the stop-motion shorts Bestia or Robin Robin to give the list that variety in style that we're all missing! 

TIM BRAYTON: Nathaniel, if anyone is going to convince you that Raya is good, it won't be me. But here's my best attempt at explaining what I got out of it, such as it is: if you can steadfastly ignore the story, the dialogue, the voice acting, the themes, and the world-building - all those little fripperies - what remains is some pretty remarkable technique. From the standpoint of raw visual horsepower, it's easily the more impressive of the Disney films: frame after frame of minutely-rendered photorealism. The narrative structure is basically a feature-length tour of all the different kinds of effects animation Disney's people can carry off: we've got some misty caverns, some dusty wind, a whole lot of sand sloshing around (every grain its own particle!), lots and lots of water, a field of glistening snow. There's some of the most amazing rain I've ever seen in a movie, capped by the nifty effect of having it glow every time the last dragon of the title touches it. And there are so many different kinds of lighting: eldritch cavern glow, hot afternoon sun, sun filtered through trees, murky nights, a town lit by the smoky red warmth of a thousand lanterns. And boy, talk about some fluid, graceful camera movement!

In short, if your solitary reason for walking into it is to see how hot Disney's render farms could be run, Raya has got you covered. That being said, I'm professionally interested in literally that exact thing, and I could still barely keep focused. The script is the most miserable, stitched-together thing, full of grating anachronistic humor and cursed by performances that seem hellbent on making the jokes feels as casually slangy and modern as possible. The story is the stuff of a video game fetch quest, pure "go here, find a thing; go here, find a thing" mechanics that finally end in a big confusing showdown where the villain changes her mind for no apparent reason, and everybody just magical light beams their way out of trouble.

So I'm not a fan, is what I'm saying.

Truthfully, I'm not much of a fan of any of the four American films. Luca is the most anodyne, paint-by-numbers thing; Encanto is cute but it has, like, zero plot development. And I think it makes a weird choice in the very last minute to throw away a potentially very brave and unexpected conclusion in exchange for the safest conclusion this story could have possibly had. Mitchells vs the Machines is absolutely the freshest - Cláudio very correctly observes that it's basically taking the technical advances of Spider-Verse and redirecting them towards a different aesthetic, one that's rounder and more "cartoony" than the angular comics-influenced earlier film. It's a spectacular example of mixed media and pushing the norms of computer animation to do something unexpected with color and texture. But I just could not get invested in the boilerplate father-daughter relationship that drives it; kids' movies thrive on formula, obviously, but I still like for my movies to be less than 100% predictable within the first five minutes.

At which point, I would very happily turn my attention to Flee, a film about which I have extremely complicated feelings, but I guess I should probably wait my turn first. Cláudio, what are your feelings towards that one?

CLÁUDIO ALVES: I agree wholeheartedly with everything you wrote about Raya. How I wish its sole nomination had come in the Best Visual Effects category, where the project's best components could be rightfully rewarded while not implicitly celebrating its horrendous storytelling, humor, characterizations. If even I, someone who has often given bad movies a chance just because they're pretty to look at, felt the shitty writing got in the way, you've got a major problem on your hands.

Anyway, you asked about Flee, and that's a pleasanter subject. It's no secret that I love Jonas Poher Rasmussen's animated documentary. It's even in my 2021 top 10, and I stand by what I said back in that article. For me, the film represents a powerful emotional experience that draws a significant percentage of its impact from the stiff style of its presentation. No matter how dramatic the narrative might at times be, the inexpressive character designs and choppy low-frame rate animation build a wall between the subject and the spectator. Such alienation is a tool of anonymity, but, moreover, it works as an added patina of aesthetic severity, a filter that eliminates some of the endeavor's more exploitative possibilities.

This detached quality is a paradox in effect, for it makes the story's content more viscerally felt. Rather than passive consumption of another's trauma, it tasks the spectators with active engagement. Despite Flee's illustrative nature, its tonal negotiations reminded me of Claude Lanzmann's work. On the surface, that might sound like a silly, far-fetched comparison. However, I couldn't help but be reminded of the French director's avoidance of archival footage and overt visual illustrations. Like Flee's lack of human expressivity, Lanzmann's technique leads towards a forceful confrontation between audience and documented fact, a reckoning.

But of course, this also leads me to another thought – I might value Flee more as a documentary than as a piece of animation. Which is another way of saying that while I think it's the best overall film in the lineup, I'm not 100 percent sure I'd vote for it were I a member of the Academy. If, in trying to spread the wealth, you could only give Flee one of the three awards for which it is nominated, would you vote for it in Best Animated Feature?

NATHANIEL R: That's a good question. I dont want to sound hopelessly uncultured but since I am not an avid documentary watcher and find it difficult to judge that form, I would be happiest if it took a win there of its three categories. For Animated Feature I'd be quite satisfied about throwing my vote to Luca instead even though Flee is my gold medalist. Tim dismissed Luca as anodyne (ouch!) but it really moved me. I thought it's simplicity, which I believe to be a strength not a weakness, led to its critical underestimation. 

Too many animated films, like too many superhero blockbusters, just pile the events and the setpieces and the characters and the plot on and basically crush any possible moments of grace or authentic individuality out of themselves. They end up feeling like clumsy "LOOK AT ME!" machines. Luca just splashes about innocently in its little pool and finds its humanity and metaphors and loveliness there. It never feels forced. I felt I could breathe with the movie and I just loved every second of it. The ending is... sorry, there's something in my eye give me a moment. 

Luca almost made my top ten list but I opted for Petite Maman instead though both films conjured childhood to me in graceful ways. Luca was almost like time-travelling in that regard because I was once a little boy (believe it or not) and I used to ride bikes around the neighborhood and go to the lake with my best friend who, like Alberto to Luca, happened to be slightly more confident, athletic, daring, and yes "straighter".  Luca's makers haven't fully embraced the "Luca is gay!" reading but whatever. Once a movie is finished it belongs to the audience not the filmmakers.

See, Cláudio, I too can be a sentimental sop about animated movies if they hit close to home!

Okay predictions. The Annie Awards are up at any moment. I think Encanto is going to take several Annies and then the Oscar... though, that said I wouldn't be completely shocked if Mitchells vs the Machines pulled off an upset at one show or the other. Both are good movies but I just dont think Academy voters are ready to vote for a great film here (Flee) if it doesn't fit into their tiny range of what they expect / want from Animated Features i.e. Disney or Disney-like CGI adventure comedies.

TIM BRAYTON: The question about Flee - how does it stack up in Documentary vs Animated vs International Feature Film - is one I've been mulling over since I first saw it way back in January 2021 at Sundance. It is, I think, an extremely great documentary, and while I haven't seen all five nominees, I won't be remotely surprised if it ends up as my favorite. Over in International, I think I might vote for it over Drive My Car (but I'd vote for The Worst Person in the World over both). Here in Animated Feature, though? I kind of think the animation is a detriment to the film. Not the mere fact that it's animated per se, just the specific style chosen for the bulk of the film. And I specify that, because right inside the same film is a style I like much more, that smudgy, kind of charcoal look that shows up sometimes.

This isn't about which style I think is cooler to look at, though (not mostly that, anyways). I think I'm seeing basically the same things as you, Cláudio, but reacting to them in exactly the opposite way. We both see the same low framerate and inexpressive characters; for me, they close off my engagement with the film rather than forces me into active engagement. I suppose the difference is that what you experienced as purposeful detachment, I experienced as much simply flattening of affect that makes me feel less invested in the m. And I like your reading a lot, and I'll be carrying it with me when I rewatch the film in advance of the Oscars. But where I'm at with it right now, I mostly just the response of feeling "that looks like the style that came packed-in with the animation software," and it felt more like the filmmakers were treating animation as a pragmatic choice rather than an artistically productive way. But I'm hopeful of seeing what you saw in it, and soon!

Which all comes down to, if I was an Academy member voter, I'd break for Mitchells vs the Machines, not without a twinge of guilt. Or perhaps I'd just write "Belle, dammit!" on the ballot in red pen, and a frowny face.

As to the question of which film I think the actual Academy members are going to go for, I'm right where Nathaniel is, only without as much ambivalence: Encanto is new, the soundtrack has been doing huge numbers for weeks, and Disney is very obviously pouring all of their campaign dollars behind that one, not the other two. I wouldn't be "completely" shocked if Mitchells took it, but I think it would count as one of the night's biggest upsets, for sure.

CLÁUDIO ALVES: Honestly, I agree with your predictions wholeheartedly as I still believe Encanto will take it, with Netflix's movie as a possible upset. Furthermore, I love your suggestion, Tim. If I had a ballot, I'd go the write-in route and just vote for Belle anyway. F*ck the Academy for ignoring it. 

What about you, dear reader? Who are you rooting for in Best Animated Feature?

Comments

[Jason Cooper]

I’ve only seen three of the nominees so far, but of those three, Encanto gets my vote (the other two I’ve seen are The Mitchells vs. the Machines and Flee). That village struck me as a kind of whimsical, joyful version of Macondo — and the film seems to be consciously splashing about in the waters of Latin American magical realism. I find the fact that it has no villain indescribably refreshing. It’s also exceptionally wise on how expectations can be corrosive and how grace is like oxygen. And then there are the songs, three of which are absolutely strong enough to have been nominated for Oscars. It’s the only animated film in my top 10 of 2021.

[par]

i appreciated flee, got bored halfway through encanto, was irritated by the mitchells and skipped the dragon

so luca gets my vote [oh, that ending]

[Peter]

I loved Encanto but agree with Claudio it could be even better as a series. Such rich world building and broad set of characters. It would be corporate malpractice for Disney to not greenlight a sequel series pronto.

[Robert G]

My vote is for Encanto, but I'm a sucker for a good movie musical. The exploration of intergenerational trauma and use of magical realism was great. If the actual plot was lacking a bit, it wasn't that far off from the level of story in other big ensemble musicals.

I also won't be mad if Flee or The Mitchells vs The Machines wins instead. Raya's animation is excellent but there's not much beyond that. I didn't mind Luca but it's not my favorite.

[Brevity]

So... boo to corporate behemoth Disney! Yay to corporate behemoth Netflix!

Encanto is cute but it has, like, zero plot development. And I think it makes a weird choice in the very last minute to throw away a potentially very brave and unexpected conclusion in exchange for the safest conclusion this story could have possibly had.

Gotta agree with Tim here. I thought that (to avoid spoilers here, I'm being deliberately vague) the village's structure should stayed permanently altered. The villagers themselves need the opportunity to grow, and with the safe reset, now maybe they can't.

I have not seen Flee, but I saw Waltz with Bashir years ago, and by the end of that film it becomes abundantly clear why that film HAD to be animated. Did you all get any such necessity for Flee, or is the animation more of a novelty, just a way to accomplish the three-category trifecta?