Oh, I feel this is one charged year because you had many films that were not nominated for Best Picture like “Blade Runner 2049”, “ The Florida Project” and “The Big Sick” all films I have yet to see. I decided to stick with films I have seen that I chose in the nominated area and should have been nominated or should have won. I hope this makes sense but if not…oh well. This is just my own opinion, but one, I think, shared by many…at least for the film that should not have won. I am speaking about Best Picture for the films that came out in 2017…
1. THE SHAPE OF WATER
I like Guillermo Del Toro who directed this weird love story about a mute cleaner who works in a top secret facility who meets a creature, kept by evil scientists, and falls in love with the creature from the black lagoon. Oops, sorry, wrong movie, but you know Del Toro must love this 50s film. This movie was a huge hit but I just didn’t get into it. I had no care for the lead actress nor slime boy and their wet and wild times. My favourite was the always great, Octavia Spencer and Richard Jenkins who created great characters in this movie. This film won Best Picture but I don’t know why…he deserved it much more for “Pan’s Labyrinth”.
2. 3 BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI
This film was nominated and Frances McDormand won best actress for her portrayal of a grieving mom trying to find answers that the cops could not. This film left me with so much emotional sadness but also, strangely, hope. It’s a character study of a grieving mom, a dying cop and his angry deputy played to perfection by the ever great, Sam Rockwell, who, also, won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. This film may not be for everyone but, I think it’s such a great story about loss, anger, love and redemption.
3. THE GREATEST SHOWMAN
I love this film! Hugh Jackman is great as the showman, P. T. Barnum who started the famous circus, “Barnum & Bailey’s Circus” which showcased trapeze artists, clowns, animals and, yes, circus freaks. Thankfully, after over 100 years, they no longer have animals..oh..nor the circus “freaks” but still entertain people after restarting in 2023. This film was highly criticized for its inaccuracies but, duh! It’s a Hollywood musical and almost all biopics have creative licences to make a film people wish to see. Hugh Jackman excels as the man who coined, “There’s a sucker born every minute.” Dancing and singing dreaming he will create more musicals in the style of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. I love how he gathers up some future famous people like “Tom Thumb” who suffered from dwarfism and only stood at 3ft 4 inches but he was all proportionate, as well as, the bearded lady, Siamese Twins etc.. The music is excellent and I am dumbfounded that it was not even nominated for best score which should have won Best Oscar as well. It is a film more about people who are different and ostracized, but find a family within their own world rising above the people who snubbed their noses at them. Love the songs, costumes, art direction and the cinematography. This deserved to be nominated.
What do you think? Any films you think should have won Best Picture or do you agree with me?
I agree I did not like Shape of Water and Pan's Labyrinth, while the most depressing movie in the world, was much better. Both of the other two films were also excellent and could of won. Blade Runner 2049 should've at least been nominated.
ReplyDeleteBIRGIT ~
ReplyDeleteI never even heard of the second movie, and barely heard of the first one (most likely only because it won Best Picture). I've seen 'The Greatest Showman' twice. Didn't care for it much the first time, but liked it a little bit better the second time. I am no fan of CGI effects, which always looks obviously fake to me, and that's probably my biggest knock on 'The Greatest Showman'.
I can think of only a few movies I've seen and liked which were made after the 1990s. I'm pretty "Bah! Humbug!" on the 21st Century arts. :^D
~ D-FensDogG