A lot of history was made when the Oscar nominations were announced on Monday morning, but it wouldn’t be the Oscar without a few deviations and omissions from scratching its head. Below, the Projectionist examines the biggest surprises and the most notorious criticisms.
Who leads ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’?
When two men or two women collide with an Oscar candidate, you can bet that astute strategists will position one as a leader and the other as a sidekick in an attempt to spread the wealth and get them both nominated. This was the original plan for “Judas and the Black Messiah”, where Lakeith Stanfield was considered the protagonist, mainly so that he could get out of the way of Daniel Kaluuya, who has been accumulating victories as a supporting actor in all seasons. But, to a great surprise, Stanfield got more votes in the supporting actor category, so the two men were nominated there. But that begs the question: if Stanfield and Kaluuya are supporting actors, then who exactly should this film be from?
Aaron Sorkin receives ‘Argo’ treatment.
Although “The Trial of the Chicago 7” is one of the most nominated Oscar nominees and Aaron Sorkin was nominated for his script, he was left out of the best director lineup, as “Another Round” director Thomas Vinterberg won the most anticipated place would go for Sorkin. Still, a lot of history has been made in this category: “Nomadland” director Chloé Zhao became the first Chinese woman and the first black woman to be nominated for the best director, and alongside the “Promising Young” filmmaker Emerald Fennell, this is the first time in the history of the Oscars in which two women were nominated in the category of best director at the same time.
Few black led dramas make the best film cut.
At the Screen Actors Guild, most of the group’s nominations for the best ensemble award went to dramas led by Black. In the end, however, none of the three SAG nominees – “Da 5 Bloods”, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “One Night in Miami” – were chosen for the best Oscar film, and only the last-minute contender “Judas and the Black Messiah ”received a nomination. And while the acting races were filled with several nominees – six of the 20 acting spots went to Black performers, a record – the critics’ favorite, Delroy Lindo of “Da 5 Bloods” was still out of the top five finalists for best actor.
Jodie Foster’s Golden Globe momentum falters.
When Jodie Foster was announced as the Golden Globe winner for supporting actress for her role as a tough lawyer in “The Mauritanian”, the actress seemed totally shocked, as she came from a much more discreet candidate than her fellow nominees. The victory certainly persuaded more Oscar voters to check out his film than he normally would, but in the end, it was not enough: Foster became the rare candidate for supporting actress whose Golden Globe win did not even get an Oscar nomination. .
Almodóvar is too big for shorts.
One of the most enthusiastic contenders of the year did not last more than half an hour: Pedro Almodóvar made his debut in the English language with “The Human Voice”, an action short starring Tilda Swinton. Most experts assumed he was the favorite in his category, but the branch of isolated shorts totally despised him, perhaps resenting that some big-name stars could flood a category that is usually filled with promising ones.
‘Boys State’ loses the election.
Few documentaries had the buzz of “Boys State,” Apple’s well-received film about teenage boys in political campaigns over a long weekend. But the documentary industry is often irritated when it comes to high-profile candidates: films with hot tips like “Won’t you be my neighbor?” “Apollo 11” and “Three Identical Strangers” were all neglected in previous years, and now “Boys State” can join them. (At least the film itself gives several lessons on how to recover from a politically motivated defeat.)