A very long overdue hello to you all!
First, thank you very much to everyone who kept me in their thoughts and prayers through my health issues and recovery this past fall. I am doing much better and am looking forward to sharing more amazing (and, unfortunately, not so amazing) films with you this year!
Second, film awards season is upon us. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released its list of Oscar nominees last week, and the films up for Best Picture this year are as follows: Black Panther, BlackkKlansman, Bohemian Rhapsody, The Favourite, Green Book, Roma, A Star is Born, and Vice. Definitely an interesting group.
So before we return to the BP winners of the past, the next few weeks will focus on the present nominees. Just like last year, my goal is to view each of the above films before the live telecast of the Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday, February 24. Then, I will do a short post for each film with a brief overview/evaluation of it, followed by some thoughts as to why the film might/might not win Best Picture.
The first BP nominee up for discussion this year is Green Book, which chronicles the (semi-) true story of Italian-American bouncer/bodyguard Tony Lip and African-American concert pianist Dr. Donald Shirley as they embark together on Dr. Shirley’s tour of the American South in 1962. Race is a big topic for this year’s nominees, but Green Book goes beyond its obvious focus on the racial differences of its two main characters and also addresses economic inequality, hypocrisy in various races, and the difficulties with and importance of family. It’s not a perfect film, but I honestly loved it. The acting is great; the film is shot very lovingly; and while there isn’t a lot of dynamic action, it’s never boring. The close of the film is satisfactory, and its viewer leaves the theater knowing there is hope for racial reconciliation and peaceful coexistence–not to mention friendship.
Why It Might Win BP:
Green Book has already collected a small multitude of accolades this awards season, including a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (though it’s really more of a drama). In a year in which about half of the BP nominees focus on racial issues, Green Book separates itself from its competitors in the intelligence of its contribution to the conversation. It is funny, witty, moving, and inspiring. I think that Academy voters may choose it as BP because it offers the best option for promoting racial awareness since it does so in a way that challenges all of us, regardless of our race, to consider how we can treat others better.
Why It Might Not Win BP:
This is shaping up to be an interesting awards season as the top contenders have been splitting up the awards so far. There doesn’t seem to be a dominant favorite (no pun intended)…yet, at least. Green Book wasn’t even nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture at this past Sunday’s SAG awards. Instead, that award show’s highest honor went to Black Panther, a film for which no individual actors were nominated, which I find confusing. For Green Book to win, then, it would have to defeat the likes of an action film like Black Panther, a love story like A Star Is Born, and the period drama of The Favourite, not to mention the rest of the nominees, any of which could swoop in and snatch BP. I think Green Book has a good shot at the Academy’s highest honor because it is a beautiful story; but unfortunately, it might just get overlooked by the louder, flashier, more shocking and disturbing visuals of its competition.