2014 Oscar Nominations
Thoughts and Snubs
By Brett Takeshita
It is Thursday, January 16, 2014. What does that mean? Oscar nominations, of course! What was surprising for me this year was that there weren't very many big surprises. Remember last year when the Academy screwed up and forgot to nominate both Ben Affleck and Kathryn Bigelow for Best Director? Yeah, the Academy made sure not to make similar mistakes again. And for the most part, nominations for both Best Picture and Best Actor/Actress (as well as the supporting categories) lined up with what critics' circles and other awards groups had been nominating these past few months. So, I'm actually pretty content with the nominees this year. Here are some of my thoughts:
(Disclaimer: I am not commenting on nominations for movies that I haven't seen. For example, I realize that many are upset with the snub of Emma Thompson for Best Actress, but because I have not seen Saving Mr. Banks, I won't be making any statements regarding her or that film).
-- HELL YEAH FOR THE WOLF OF WALL STREET
Easily one of the best films of the year, I was ecstatic with The Wolf of Wall Street's nominations, particularly for Best Picture and Best Actor for Leonardo DiCaprio (who not only gives the finest performance by any actor -- male or female -- this year, but also gives the greatest performance of his impressive career). Bonus points for Martin Scorsese and Jonah Hill for their nominations. I was afraid that the Academy would be too afraid to nominate this movie, particularly due to all of the criticism that it's been receiving. But perhaps the controversy is what brought this picture to the forefront.
-- HALF WIN/HALF LOSS FOR HER
Spike Jonze's magnificent film, Her, received a solid number of nominations this year, with the most noteworthy being for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. However, I am bummed out that Jonze did not receive a Best Director nomination for this gorgeous, thought-provoking film. Also, there was no love for the actors. A stunning Joaquin Phoenix and a fantastic Amy Adams were both snubbed. And one of the biggest disappointments of all, Scarlett Johansson did not receive a nomination for Best Supporting Actress, even though it was easily one of the year's best performances. I guess the Academy still isn't ready to fully accept a solely vocal performance as "acting."
-- TOO MUCH LOVE FOR AMERICAN HUSTLE
Sure, American Hustle is a stylish film with outstanding performances (all four actors deservedly received nominations), but it is an overrated, convoluted, and flawed movie. I don't understand why this film is being hailed as one of the best of the year. And the fact that this film is tied with the far superior Gravity for the most nominations of the night (10 in total) is sorta baffling.
-- THE FRONTRUNNERS ARE STILL FRONTRUNNERS
Speaking of Gravity, it is still a huge frontrunner, alongside the unforgettable 12 Years a Slave. These two wonderful films both received a lot of love, and I couldn't be happier. While I am very pleased with their nominations for both Best Picture and Best Director, I am even happier with the acting nods. Sandra Bullock was astonishing as the lone astronaut in space. Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, and Lupita Nyong'o gave some of the bravest -- and most astonishing -- performances of the year. I'm happy that the Academy got it right this year with these two brilliant pictures that will stand the test of time.
-- INDIE SPOTLIGHT
Before Midnight received a Best Adapted Screenplay nomination. Thank goodness! Before Midnight was a sorta under-the-radar film that was so perfectly written. Here's hoping that Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke, and Julie Delpy will write another film, and pop out another one of these beauties in 9 years. But even if the Academy got it right with Before Midnight, it overlooked the unshakeable Fruitvale Station for multiple nominations. Michael B. Jordan and Octavia Spencer gave some of the most remarkable performances of the year, but they were snubbed. Unfortunately, I think it's a case of the film coming out too early in the year.
Lana Del Rey's achingly beautiful Great Gatsby ballad, "Young And Beautiful," was easily the best original song of the year. The combination of haunting, thoughtful lyrics and Lana Del Rey's gorgeous, emotive vocals is pure magic. Apparently, the Academy doesn't have a soul.
-- BLUE IS NOT THE WARMEST COLOR
Yeah, yeah, I already heard that bull about Blue is the Warmest Color not being eligible for a Best Foreign Language Film nomination, simply due to the time at which it was released. That's dumb. If it were eligible, this masterful lesbian drama would've taken the trophy. And in a perfect world, Adele Exarchopoulos would've received a nomination for Best Actress for her sensational, star-making performance.
-- SPRIIIINNNGGGG BREAAAKKKK... IS OVER
You all know how much I adored Spring Breakers, Harmony Korine's masterpiece about the horrors of "Generation Y." And you know how much I absolutely LOVED James Franco's spellbinding performance as Alien, the mesmerizing rapper/drug dealer/gangster. This is one of his best performances yet. Franco had been a dark horse nominee after receiving a string of Best Supporting Actor trophies from various critics' groups. I was really hoping that the Academy would shock the world (much like the film did to audiences) and reward Franco with a nomination. However, of course that didn't happen. I really think that Spring Breakers was too crazy of a film for the Academy, and so, they decided to snub Franco of a nomination for one of his weirdest, wackiest, and most compelling turns yet. And on another note, Spring Breakers also deserved nominations for Best Cinematography and Best Editing (and really even Best Director, but of course, Harmony Korine had no chance there). Don't worry, Spring Breakers! You are still flawless in my eyes!
Tune into The Oscars on March 2, 2014, to see how this all pans out. This should be an interesting ceremony.
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