Awards Season 2019

[DarkImbecile]

It’s worth noting that the French committee decided this long before the film took its series of victory laps at American film festivals this fall. You have to look at this a bit pragmatically

I don't think that's entirely true... I know they made that decision at least a few weeks after I saw it in Telluride, and I believe after it did well in New York as well.

[domino harvey]

If the film had a qualifying theatrical run this year, it’s still eligible in other categories. I think in another year without several other critical faves going the distance, it would have stood a chance for a passion vote for Director or Cinematography

[therewillbeblus]

It’s not the Oscars’ fault, they can only nominate what the country submits to represent themselves

I know that’s the case for the “foreign/international film” category but I was referring to other awards at the ceremony. I wasn’t aware that was the case for something like screenplay or acting too. My dig at the oscars is in jest, we all know there are omissions every year but I follow and have a love for them nonetheless and always will.

[domino harvey]

It’s worth noting that the French committee decided this long before the film took its series of victory laps at American film festivals this fall. You have to look at this a bit pragmatically

I don't think that's entirely true... I know they made that decision at least a few weeks after I saw it in Telluride, and I believe after it did well in New York as well.

Okay, but again, they have not decided to put support behind a Dany Boon comedy or whatever. At worst they backed the second most widely distributed and critically acclaimed French movie of the year. Yes, it seems obvious to us now that they should have picked Portrait based on widespread acclaim it’s received, but there’s a bit of hindsight here (and personal preference/taste). We did not know until recently that it would resonate so strongly on year end lists, etc. There may also be political reasons driving the choice they made, though again I suspect knowing Amazon had it was the biggest influencer once it came to choosing from a few obvious picks

[domino harvey]

It’s not the Oscars’ fault, they can only nominate what the country submits to represent themselves

I know that’s the case for the “foreign/international film” category but I was referring to other awards at the ceremony. I wasn’t aware that was the case for something like screenplay or acting too. My dig at the oscars is in jest, we all know there are omissions every year but I follow and have a love for them nonetheless and always will.

I do not know if Neon has submitted it at all in any category that needs vetting. If it hasn’t had a qualifying run, it’s a moot point anyway (and they aren’t distributing it theatrically til next spring)

[mfunk9786]

It's getting a qualifying run in NY/LA

It’s worth noting that the French committee decided this long before the film took its series of victory laps at American film festivals this fall. You have to look at this a bit pragmatically

As DarkImbecile points out above, this film was very much on the radar as being stellar since Cannes and began playing in the U.S. in August, though I'm not sure precisely what your motive is here in being so defensive of the decision so maybe I'm stepping on a landmine

[Never Cursed]

It's no Portrait Of A Lady On Fire or Amanda (or Deerskin, for that matter), but Les Miserables is a very good film and well worth its spot on the shortlist. It's also the most socially relevant of those movies, so even going beyond metrics of quality or exposure, I can very easily see why France would have chosen it over the Sciamma before the latter became such a critical darling.

[DarkImbecile]

If the film had a qualifying theatrical run this year, it’s still eligible in other categories. I think in another year without several other critical faves going the distance, it would have stood a chance for a passion vote for Director or Cinematography

I know other categories are still a possibility, but I think for foreign films we've seen that the review process for International née Foreign Language films is key to making sure a feature is seen as widely as possible among the voting body; no way Never Look Away scores multiple nominations last year if it wasn't the official German submission.

We did not know until recently that it would resonate so strongly on year end lists, etc.

Some of us have been obnoxiously sure for months now!

There may also be political reasons driving the choice they made, though again I suspect knowing Amazon had it was the biggest influencer once it came to choosing from a few obvious picks

Surely you're not suggesting that Amazon has more influence than Neon

[DarkImbecile]

Separate topic: did Disney actually screen the new Star Wars a couple of weeks ago for the relevant branches to secure those nominations, or did they just submit a clip reel/ audio track or something?

[domino harvey]

It's no Portrait Of A Lady On Fire or Amanda (or Deerskin, for that matter), but Les Miserables is a very good film and well worth its spot on the shortlist. It's also the most socially relevant of those movies, so even going beyond metrics of quality or exposure, I can very easily see why France would have chosen it over the Sciamma before the latter became such a critical darling.

Not that it ever had a chance, but Amanda would have had to be chosen last year (and last year’s went to Le douleur over the more critically popular Jusqu'à la garde, though again, though it didn’t pan out, can you fault that committee for thinking the Oscars were more likely to nom a WWII movie?)

[mfunk9786]

I can very easily see why France would have chosen it over the Sciamma before the latter became such a critical darling.

Right, but they didn't make that choice before the latter became such a critical darling, though. That's all DI was trying to say from the beginning

[senseabove]

Portrait did have a qualifying one-week run in LA/NYC last week, and Neon is—annoyingly—not releasing it wide until Feb. 6th, so they're clearly banking on it getting other Oscar noms and riding that wave.

[mfunk9786]

And a Valentine's Day box office boom that's not coming. NEON doesn't tend to make good choices.

[domino harvey]

Missed in all this discussion is the fact that Bong may be getting an Oscar nom for of all things co-writing a song in the film!

[mfunk9786]

The little rhyme that the sister does to remember her backstory is the best song in the film

[Never Cursed]

And for a song that isn't even the most well-known song in the film! I would absolutely loved to have seen "Jessica, Only Child" get a full-fledged nomination over the Cats song.

[Nasir007]

Shortlists for Documentary, International Feature, Visual Effects, and more from the Academy

Spoiler

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
“Advocate”
“American Factory”
“The Apollo”
“Apollo 11”
“Aquarela”
“The Biggest Little Farm”
“The Cave”
“The Edge of Democracy”
“For Sama”
“The Great Hack”
“Honeyland”
“Knock Down the House”
“Maiden”
“Midnight Family”
“One Child Nation”

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
Czech Republic, “The Painted Bird”
Estonia, “Truth and Justice”
France, “Les Misérables”
Hungary, “Those Who Remained”
North Macedonia, “Honeyland”
Poland, “Corpus Christi”
Russia, “Beanpole”
Senegal, “Atlantics”
South Korea, “Parasite”
Spain, “Pain and Glory”

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
“Avengers: Endgame”
“Bombshell”
“The Farewell”
“Ford v Ferrari”
“Frozen II”
“Jojo Rabbit”
“Joker”
“The King”
“Little Women”
“Marriage Story”
“Motherless Brooklyn”
“1917”
“Pain and Glory”
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”
“Us”

VISUAL EFFECTS
“Alita: Battle Angel”
“Avengers: Endgame”
“Captain Marvel”
“Cats”
“Gemini Man”
“The Irishman”
“The Lion King”
“1917”
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”
“Terminator: Dark Fate”

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
“Bombshell”
“Dolemite Is My Name”
“Downton Abbey”
“Joker”
“Judy”
“Little Women”
“Maleficent: Mistress of Evil”
“1917”
“Once upon a Time…in Hollywood”
“Rocketman”

Still can't believe France didn't submit Sciamma's Portrait of a Lady on Fire

It was indeed a baffling choice because as others have noted, it could have broken into other categories with some effort. It has already done relatively well - winning the cinematography prize from 2 of the most prestigious critics groups in the country.

Even the choice of holding it to Valentine's Day is bone-headed. The film is hot right now - it would have done okay - specially in the AMC Stubs model which I have no doubt helped Parasite get visibility. The trailers are all playing right now for Sciamma. I don't think people will remember it in February. This definitely has been a botched rollout by NEON and oscar campaign by France.

Separate topic: did Disney actually screen the new Star Wars a couple of weeks ago for the relevant branches to secure those nominations, or did they just submit a clip reel/ audio track or something?

Disney made the FYC score album available to the music branch I believe. Well actually it was on their website, so I am sure they pressed CDs and sent to the score branch. I managed to grab the FYC score album from their website before they took it down. It is quite good.

Star Wars 9 got two shortlist mentions - Score and VFX. You could argue both are gimmes. They might not have submitted a VFX reel but I think it is fair to say that even from just the trailers, the branch could determine that the effects were atleast good enough for top 15 of the year.

[zedz]

It's no Portrait Of A Lady On Fire or Amanda (or Deerskin, for that matter), but Les Miserables is a very good film and well worth its spot on the shortlist. It's also the most socially relevant of those movies, so even going beyond metrics of quality or exposure, I can very easily see why France would have chosen it over the Sciamma before the latter became such a critical darling.

Les Miserables is a great film, and I expect it's going to be a big deal when people in North America (or, basically, outside of France) finally get to see it. It's strongly indebted to The Wire, which is no bad thing, and I think it's the kind of film that's going to play better with adventurous Oscar voters than the Sciamma, which might be too subdued for many of them. And Les Miserables had a huge amount of buzz at Cannes as well, it's just that the international roll-out kicked off slower than Portrait of a Lady on Fire, and it's going to take a while to reignite.

I prefer the Sciamma, but Les Miserables is a better bainlieue film than La Haine or Sciamma's own Girlhood, and it fully deserves this acknowledgement.

[felipe]

Also Cats couldn’t even get shortlisted for its best bet, that Taylor Swift song

Weird. But has anybody even seen the movie? I read somewhere Golden Globe voters were only given an audio file to listen to the song, but no movie.

[DarkImbecile]

I believe the world premiere is happening tonight, actually

[FrauBlucher]

Couldn’t think of another place to put this...Slant top 30 home video releases for year

[mfunk9786]

In sort of an unprecedented move this late in the season, Universal has yanked any For Your Consideration advertising and other efforts for Cats, including removing it from their own website, which had featured the film prominently up to this point

[swo17]

Because no one could have foreseen this reception

[domino harvey]

President Obama’s favorites— he could be posting here and we don’t even know it

[mfunk9786]

I wonder how he squares Parasite with the bank bailout