A Reel Opinion: Oscar Nominations - The Good, The Bad, & The Glorious

The nominations for the 97th Academy Awards were announced this morning. Here’s how it all landed in The Good, The Bad, and The Glorious. 

 

THE GOOD

 

-The leader of the pack was EMILIA PEREZ with 13 nominations. The French-language musical, which recently had a great showing at the Golden Globes, is one of a handful of films not in the English language that was able to stretch beyond the Best International Feature category. The Brazilian film I’M STILL HERE earned three nominations; becoming the first Brazilian film since 1986 to be nominated for Best Picture. A good year for international cinema and proof that a great film can be found anywhere. 

 

-Speaking of EMILIA PEREZ, Karla Sofia Gascon became the first openly transgender acting nominee in Oscars history.

 

-Tied for the second most nominations was the heralded THE BRUTALIST and the global phenom WICKED with 10 nominations each. The Vatican-based drama CONCLAVE earned nine, and the Bob Dylan biopic A COMPLETE UNKNOWN came in with eight. 

 

-The ten nominations included only two films that earned over $100 million at the box office, and only two that were part of a franchise. If the general public isn’t showing up for original films, at least the Academy is. 

 

 

THE BAD

 

-Not necessarily bad but worth a discussion: Jon M. Chu, director of the massive hit WICKED, did not get a Best Director nomination. It can be head-scratching that a film this big and beloved could not get recognition for its helmer. Maybe the strength of the source material is what really drove the film, or maybe they’re just waiting to see how he does with the sequel later this year. 

 

-Denis Villeneuve, director of the epic DUNE: PART TWO, also did not get a Best Director nod. 

 

-Acclaimed films such as CHALLENGERS, WE LIVE IN TIME, CIVIL WAR, and BABYGIRL were shut out. 

 

-Margaret Qualley, who literally went toe-to-toe with Demi Moore in THE SUBSTANCE, did not get a nomination. 

 

 

THE GLORIOUS

 

-Her co-star may not have made the cut, but Demi Moore rightfully got her nomination. Joining her is THE SUBSTANCE director Coralie Fargaet. Not bad for a body-horror film. 

 

-Speaking of horror, Robert Eggers’ magnificent NOSFERATU earned four nominations (Cinematography, Costume, Production Design, Hair and Makeup). Not bad for a remake of a 102-year-old vampire movie. 

 

-Two animated films were able to break the barrier around Best Animated Feature and land in other categories. THE WILD ROBOT made Best Original Score and Best Sound, and the dialogue-less kitty film FLOW made Best International Feature. An important step forward for animated films. 

 

-Guy Pearce and Felicity Jones earning nominations for their performances in THE BRUTALIST. The precursors had them overlooked, and its justice for them both to get in. 

 

-As expected, THE BRUTALIST and EMILIA PEREZ seem to the frontrunners on Oscar night, getting nominations in all the vital categories. So far, the right films are in the race. 

 

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The 97^th Academy Awards are March 2^nd.