It’s too common to talk about “Oscar snubs,” as if Academy Award nominations are some sort of entitlement.
No talk, then, of “one last nomination” for Judi Dench (“Victoria & Abdul”).
Let’s forget about Hugh Jackman, who could have pulled a best actor nod for either of two movies, or the late Harry Dean Stanton, who could have collected a sort of honorary nomination for “Lucky,” a brilliant, sharply-observed curtain call on a great character actor’s career. And Josh Brolin, deserving for the quiet, manly competence of “Only the Brave.”
So, sure. “Snubs.” Call them that if you want.
If you were going to burn an Oscar nomination on a film nobody saw and a performance worth recognizing, those three were far more deserving than Denzel’s inconsistent, off-key “on the spectrum” turn in “Roman J. Israel, Esq.”
Denzel Washington and Daniel Day Lewis, like Meryl Streep, are worth noting in everything they do, however.
And anything to avoid another year of #Oscarsowhite.
Speaking of political correctness, did you notice that “The Disaster Artist” got wiped off the map? A fun picture, good enough to merit maybe a nomination or three, but you treat women like dirt, you’re done. James Franco and Kevin Spacey and the pictures of Harvey Weinstein (“Wind River” was a top ten picture) learned that lesson.
Kate Winslet and the rest of Hollywood may finally learn the “Working for Woody Allen Won’t Ever Pay Off Again” lesson.
Somehow, the inappropriate sexual relationship at the heart of the tin-eared “Call Me By Your Name” got a pass. Apparently.
“Get Out” got more notice from the Academy than from the likes of the Hollywood Foreign Press, which is a good thing. Great direction, tight script. I’d argue with nominating Daniel Kaluuya, a best actor nomination in a fun, furious and eye-opening picture that stuck with me, though his performance did not.
“Blade Runner 2049” earned the technical nominations it landed. Nothing beyond those, also deserved.
“The Big Sick,” an indie phenom of the summer, was nominated for exactly the stand-out characteristic the film could rightly claim — script. Same with “Logan,” which could have landed Jackman an acting nomination. An adapted screenplay nod will have to do.
“Best directors direct best pictures,” so “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” may be a longer shot at best picture than you’d think. Nobody is calling “Call Me By Your Name” or “The Post” or “Darkest Hour” top dogs in the Oscar handicapping race. Leaving Spielberg out of this list suggests how much heat “The Post” has. None.
“Phantom Thread” feels like another odd-man out, getting best picture AND best director nominations. Martin McDonagh should have copped that director nomination. Dammit.
“The Florida Project” deserved a best picture nomination, but it’ll have to get by with a deserved Willem Dafoe honor, and that came because he’s an always-compelling supporting player and has worked forever. Indie Spirit Awards should be kinder to this one.
“Detroit” is nowhere to be found, a great chance to give another woman director the honor of a nomination. No, Patty Jenkins (“Wonder Woman”) and Ava Duvernay (“Mudbound”) didn’t get robbed. Those were grossly over-rated pictures. “Mudbound” in particular should inspire a “SERIOUSLY?” in any argument you get in. It looks like its title, and wallows along — a Netflix movie in every sense, and Mary J. Blige should count her blessings for a weak supporting actress selection (as usual, unfortunately). The cinematography nomination for this one seems laughable, but I guess “through the lens darkly” paid off.
“The Greatest Showman” could easily have been the tenth best picture nominee. No, it’s not a top ten movie, but neither is “Get Out,” “Call Me By Your Name” or the presumed favorite, “The Shape of Water.” “Only the Brave” could have earned a nomination in a less #Timesup year.
“The Shape of Water” leads all nominees, with 13. Hate to see it. Kind of a “Meh” picture for me, but that happens every Oscar nomination Tuesday. Not much blowback on this one, though the extra acting nominations seem an exercise in futility.
“Dunkirk” cleaned up in directing, editing, sound, score, etc. categories, but has no real traction from earlier awards, so Mr. Nolan’s film is set up to be a big loser on March 4.
That’s all right. They gave best picture to “Crash,” “The Artist,” “Moonlight” and “The English Patient.” We’re not exactly watching those movies, in awe or at all, a year or five years later, are we? That’s the real criterion worth weighing. Will it endure? By that token, I’d say “Dunkirk,” “Three Billboards,” “Get Out” and “I, Tonya” stand tallest in this group.
And yeah, “The Boss Baby” deserved an animation nomination, just not more than “Captain Underpants.”
The full list of nominees is below.
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
NOMINEES
TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS
DANIEL KALUUYA
GARY OLDMAN
DENZEL WASHINGTON
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
NOMINEES
WILLEM DAFOE
WOODY HARRELSON
RICHARD JENKINS
CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER
SAM ROCKWELL
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
NOMINEES
SALLY HAWKINS
FRANCES MCDORMAND
MARGOT ROBBIE
SAOIRSE RONAN
MERYL STREEP
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
NOMINEES
MARY J. BLIGE
ALLISON JANNEY
LESLEY MANVILLE
LAURIE METCALF
OCTAVIA SPENCER
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
NOMINEES
THE BOSS BABY
THE BREADWINNER
COCO
FERDINAND
LOVING VINCENT
CINEMATOGRAPHY
NOMINEES
BLADE RUNNER 2049
DARKEST HOUR
DUNKIRK
MUDBOUND
THE SHAPE OF WATER
COSTUME DESIGN
NOMINEES
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
DARKEST HOUR
PHANTOM THREAD
THE SHAPE OF WATER
VICTORIA & ABDUL
DIRECTING
NOMINEES
DUNKIRK
GET OUT
LADY BIRD
PHANTOM THREAD
THE SHAPE OF WATER
DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE)
NOMINEES
ABACUS: SMALL ENOUGH TO JAIL
FACES PLACES
ICARUS
LAST MEN IN ALEPPO
STRONG ISLAND
DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT)
NOMINEES
EDITH+EDDIE
HEAVEN IS A TRAFFIC JAM ON THE 405
HEROIN(E)
KNIFE SKILLS
TRAFFIC STOP
FILM EDITING
NOMINEES
BABY DRIVER
DUNKIRK
I, TONYA
THE SHAPE OF WATER
THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
NOMINEES
A FANTASTIC WOMAN
THE INSULT
LOVELESS
ON BODY AND SOUL
THE SQUARE
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
NOMINEES
DARKEST HOUR
VICTORIA & ABDUL
WONDER
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
NOMINEES
DUNKIRK
PHANTOM THREAD
THE SHAPE OF WATER
STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI
THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
NOMINEES
MIGHTY RIVER
MYSTERY OF LOVE
REMEMBER ME
STAND UP FOR SOMETHING
THIS IS ME
BEST PICTURE
NOMINEES
CALL ME BY YOUR NAME
DARKEST HOUR
DUNKIRK
GET OUT
LADY BIRD
PHANTOM THREAD
THE POST
THE SHAPE OF WATER
THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI
PRODUCTION DESIGN
NOMINEES
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
BLADE RUNNER 2049
DARKEST HOUR
DUNKIRK
THE SHAPE OF WATER
SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
NOMINEES
DEAR BASKETBALL
GARDEN PARTY
LOU
NEGATIVE SPACE
REVOLTING RHYMES
SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
NOMINEES
DEKALB ELEMENTARY
THE ELEVEN O’CLOCK
MY NEPHEW EMMETT
THE SILENT CHILD
WATU WOTE/ALL OF US
SOUND EDITING
NOMINEES
BABY DRIVER
BLADE RUNNER 2049
DUNKIRK
THE SHAPE OF WATER
STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI
SOUND MIXING
NOMINEES
BABY DRIVER
BLADE RUNNER 2049
DUNKIRK
THE SHAPE OF WATER
STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI
VISUAL EFFECTS
NOMINEES
BLADE RUNNER 2049
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2
KONG: SKULL ISLAND
STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI
WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES
WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
NOMINEES
CALL ME BY YOUR NAME
THE DISASTER ARTIST
LOGAN
MOLLY’S GAME
MUDBOUND
WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
NOMINEES
THE BIG SICK
GET OUT
LADY BIRD
THE SHAPE OF WATER
THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI
I’ve already dubbed this the Dull and Dishwater Oscars. For the most part the pictures are ones to “like”, and performances where you say “okay”. Certainly Logan deserved more and Hugh Jackman for delivering two vastly different A level performances in a single year. So barring some form of magnificent entertainment in the show, I’ll just read all about it the day after.
Denzel stole Jackman’s nomination, I think. Franco might have still been a longer shot before his sex scandal broke. And that’s a shame. This felt like Hugh’s year. He was magnificent in two decent-enough films, and how often can you give Best Actor to a genuine Triple Threat?