It was an awards show that was light on hosts, going emcee-less for the first time in decades, but heavy on inclusion and politics.
Green Book, the story of the unlikely friendship between a bigoted bouncer and a virtuoso black musician, was named the best picture of the year at the 91st Academy Awards. The release beat back a string of formidable challengers to nab the top honor, including Netflix’s Roma, a critically adored black-and-white drama that spent more than $25 million in its quest for Oscars.
Not that Roma went home empty handed. The meticulously made Mexican drama won best director for Alfonso Cuaron at the Oscars, adding to its win for foreign language feature Oscar and cinematography. Netflix also earned a best documentary short award for Period. End Of Sentence.”
Bohemian Rhapsody, a musical biopic about Freddie Mercury, won a leading four Oscars, including a best actor prize for Rami Malek’s portrayal of the Queen frontman.
It was an awards show that was light on hosts, going emcee-less for the first time in decades, but heavy on inclusion and politics. A record number of black performers and women were honored over the course of the three-hour show.
In his acceptance speech, Malek noted that he was the son of Egyptian immigrants, in an experience that in some respects mirrored those of the rock icon he plays.
“We made a film about a gay man, an immigrant, who lived his life just unapologetically himself,” he said. “The fact that I’m celebrating him and this story with you tonight is proof that we’re longing for stories like this.”
Olivia Colman upset the heavily favored Glenn Close to nab best actress for her role as a mercurial monarch in The Favourite. Colman was gracious in victory. “Glenn Close, you’ve been my idol for so long and this is not how I wanted it to be,” she said. With her lose, Close now has seven nominations and no wins.
Regina King won best supporting actress for her role as a fiercely protective mother in If Beale Street Could Talk, while Black Panther and Bohemian Rhapsody picked up important technical honors. In a teary speech, King thanked the writer James Baldwin, whose novel inspired the film, as well as her mother. “It’s appropriate for me to be standing here, because I’m an example of what it looks like when support and love is poured into someone,” said King, adding “God is good, all the time.”
Green Book’s Mahershala Ali picked up his second Academy Award for best supporting actor. He was honored for his portrayal of pianist Don Shirley and previously won for his performance as a sympathetic drug dealer in Moonlight. Ali said “Trying to capture Dr. Shirley’s essence pushed me to my ends.” Green Book has been criticized as inaccurate by Shirley’s family, with the musician’s surviving brother, Dr. Maurice Shirley, calling the film a “symphony of lies.” The film also picked up a best original screenplay Oscar, bringing its total to three wins after a slew of controversies.
In lieu of an opening monologue, Queen and Adam Lambert got the evening started with an amalgam of “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions” that leaned heavily on smoke machines and cascading lights. The audience of well-heeled movie-makers and executives clapped along, at times awkwardly.
The Oscars are being handed out at a time of tectonic changes in the entertainment industry, an era of mergers, consolidation, and emerging technology that is upending traditional ways of doing business. Twentieth Century Fox, which has 20 nominations, the most of any studio, is staring into an uncertain future. Much of the film and television giant has been sold to the Walt Disney Company. Thousands of people are expected to be laid off as a result of the union.
Major studios have largely shied away from the darker, contemplative dramas that are favored by awards voters. Instead they are concentrating on producing superhero movies. In recent years, popular tastes and those of the Oscars have deviated wildly, with voters rewarding indie fare such as Moonlight and Birdman over The Avengers. This year’s crop of contenders was different. Black Panther became the first comic book movie to score a best picture nomination and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse won the best animated feature prize.
Three years after the #OscarsSoWhite movement exposed the Academy’s habit of ignoring performers and artists of color, the winner’s circle was far more inclusive. Two black actors, Ali and King, were honored for their supporting turns and Spike Lee, the legendary director of Do the Right Thing, earned his first statue for co-writing BlacKkKlansman.
The show made several political detours, though it was less overtly strident than in previous years. Without mentioning President Trump by name, some presenters still sought to draw a distinction with his immigration policies.
Lee was more explicit. “The 2020 presidential election is around the corner,” he said. “Lets all mobilize…make the moral choice between love and hate. Lets do the right thing.”
The 2019 broadcast threatened to be overshadowed by offstage drama. In recent months, the Academy has careened from one disaster of its own making to another. The litany of missteps include a short-lived plan to hand out a prize for the best blockbuster release, an aborted decision to only film a handful of performances of the best original song nominees, and a hastily abandoned move to hand our certain prizes, such as those for editing and cinematography, during commercial breaks.
It also stumbled in its selection of Kevin Hart as host. Hart stepped down as the firestorm over his past remarks and half-hearted apologies intensified.
The telecast relied on a series of A-list presenters to keep things moving. “We are not your hosts, but we’re going to stand here a little too long so that the people who get USA Today tomorrow will think that we hosted,” said Tina Fey as she handed out the supporting actress award alongside Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph.
One thing that could bolster ratings? The Oscars recognized movies that people have actually seen. In recent years, the Academy has nominated movies that were more loved than seen. This year’s best picture nominees have collectively grossed $1.3 billion at the domestic box office, the highest-grossing group of contenders in nearly a decade. That’s mostly thanks to Black Panther.
However, Green Book, the eventual winner grossed $144 million globally, a solid result, but one that pales in comparison to Black Panther or A Star is Born.
– Courtesy: Variety.com
