Delving into this year’s best picture choices
Academy voters were unimpressed by films from 2018 that took place in modern times.
Only two Best Picture nominees are based in the present – one whose original version was made in 1937, the other a fantastical superhero movie.
This year’s crop is good, but not great. Movies have continued a troubling trend of being overall less impressive year after year. I hope 2019 will buck that movement.
Here’s a look at this year’s Oscar nominees:
“The Favourite.” Director Yorgos Lanthimos follows the bonkers “The Lobster” with this gem based on a love triangle during the time of England’s Queen Anne. Olivia Colman emits a grace in Anne that history has long forgotten. Longtime friend and confidant Lady Sarah (Rachael Weisz) battles with upstart maid Abigail (Emma Stone) for Anne’s love and friendship. A darkly funny and obscene film, it is also one of the best cinematic achievements this century.
“Roma.” “Children of Men” and “Gravity” showcased Alfonso Cuaron’s deft use of the camera, and “Roma” cements his place among the masters of the art. Long takes, use of space and beautiful tracking shots capture the lives of an upper-middle class family in early 1970s Mexico. Their live-in-nanny Cleo (Yalitza Aparacio) navigates being a pseudo-family member while trying to establish her own life.
“Vice.” Adam McKay follows “The Big Short” with another true story that demands to be heard. Christian Bale and Steve Carell inhabit the roles of Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, respectively. The film focuses on Cheney’s path from Yale dropout to shot-caller vice president. It takes a long time getting there, but the payoff watching Cheney mastermind much of the Bush presidency is worth it.
“BlacKkKlansman.” Spike Lee tells the true story of Ron Stallworth (Denzel’s son John David Washington), a rookie black policeman in Colorado who infiltrates the Ku Klux Klan. Stallworth talks his game on the phone, while Adam Driver plays the white Jewish cop who does the in-person infiltration.
“Green Book.” All-star acting by Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen elevate what could have been a bland road film into an excellent look at an unknown piece of history. When black musician Don Shirley (Ali) goes on tour in the south during the 1960s, he hires a slightly racist white New Yorker (Mortensen) to be his driver. Both men learn a lot about each other and the cultures into which neither of them neatly fit.
“Black Panther.” As I stated in my review of the film, “(Ryan) Coogler proves adept at exploring themes of race and equality while keeping the film focused in the superhero universe.” However, unlike the bulk of the superheroes of the MCU, Black Panther is morose and introverted. Perhaps that’s why I did not enjoy it as much as “Thor: Ragnarok” or “Avengers: Infinity War.”
“A Star is Born.” Bradley Cooper plays self-sabotaging, fading rocker Jackson Maine. He encounters a diamond-in-the-rough singer Ally (career-affirming performance by Lady Gaga). His star falls as hers rises, even though her music worsens. The story has been told several times before. Cooper directs the modern version using excellent cinematography and performances by Sam Elliot and Andrew Dice Clay.
“Bohemian Rhapsody.” This film is about the band Queen but focuses almost solely on lead singer Freddie Mercury (wholly embodied by Rami Malek). Malek perfectly captures Mercury’s ferocious stage presence and flamboyant personality. Other than some fantastic song creation scenes, the film doesn’t do much besides act like a greatest hits collection onscreen.
My personal top 10:
1. “Mission Impossible 6”
2. “The Favourite”
3. “Hereditary”
4. “Roma”
5. “Vice:
6. “Avengers: Infinity War”
7. “A Quiet Place”
8. “BlacKkKlansman”
9. “Creed 2”
10. “Green Book”
Jeff Mellinger is a screen writer and film buff. He holds a BA in Film Studies and an MFA in film production. He lives in Concord. Email comments to editor@pioneerpublishers.com.
Jeff Mellinger
Jeff Mellinger is a screen writer and film buff. He holds a BA in Film Studies and an MFA in film production. He lives in Concord.