Oscar is on top of us again. One of the best photo candidates this year has been plagued by controversy, but in several other categories, the race feels much more open than in the past few years.
To better understand what to expect and get insight into how Oscars work, I turned to Vox culture experts Kyndall Cunningham and Alex Abad-Santos.
They pulled back the Oscar curtains for me and also told me about the films I should have really gotten love from the academy this year. The conversations edited for length and clarity can be found below:
Shawn: Tell me you're getting cold (like me, I'm ashamed to say). What do you need to know about Oscars this weekend? What is the reason?
Kyndall: It's not surprising to feel like it's off the loop. Because it was a very strange and overwhelming year for Oscar movies. Barbie and Oppenheimer. If you're a person who lives and breathes, you've seen at least one of those movies that year, and perhaps even one of the little movies people were really enthusiastic about, Poor thing or Fall anatomy or Zones of Interest.
Alex: I totally agree with that. The biggest film of the year, or at least this year's Oscars evilprobably. But – and now I say this and look evil Win everything – evil It is not considered the front line. Oppenheimer. The film was a huge favorite that came in and was a very popular film about what it was. evil Perhaps this year is the only “Oscar movie” with such mainstream influence and is less popular to win.
Kyndall: Another monocultural film from last year Challengerit was completely shut out, but it looked like a throwback Oscar movie, in that it's artistic but accessible.
Shawn: What do you think happened? Why don't those movies love a lot of Oscars?
Alex: It feels like nothing has wavered for one movie only in one year.
Kyndall: I agree that there aren't many films where people clearly declare masterpieces this year, but last year everyone was like “.Zones of Interest It is the best Holocaust film ever made. Fall anatomy It's a masterpiece. ”
but Challengera lot of people looked at it and talked about it, but outside the internet it was a bit polarized. Many warnings are heard: Anora It was fun, but it wasn't the best Sean Baker movie. conclave It was interesting, but not super intelligent.
Alex: It's also interesting as there are some controversies surrounding some of this year's films. A brutal person Do you want to use AI? Twitter account Emilia Perez Starkara Sophia Gascon was clearly not checked by a spokesperson. There was an online story about Sean Baker making similar strange fetish films over and over about sex work.
Shawn: Can I talk about it with Karla Sofía Gascón? Emilia Perez A momentary situation?
Shawn: She was caught tweeting a lot of racist and inappropriate things, right?
Alex: a lot. There was a place she was, Hitler had a very opinion on things, right? No one really cared about George Floyd, who called him a drug addict. There were a lot of people like that, but I didn't know if the tweets I saw were real, which I saw as a result of her.
Kyndall: Apparently she's coming to Oscar. She has been nominated for Best Actress.
It will be interesting to see shots of people comforting her during the show and whether she gets the amount of applause she gets when her clips play.
Alex: In normal times, “Oh my well, there are trans women for the best actresses, Hollywood is so bad!” But Carla became a pariah overnight, so the liberals don't love it enough, so they can't even be afraid of the trans drug cartel movies that liberals love.
Like awakened repulsion to awakened repulsion, this is this charming, strange, dark and cheerful moment, right?
Shawn: Too many outfits, Alex! Over the past few years we have been asking questions such as: Is Oscars still important? Are they important?
Kyndall: Judging from the quality of the films nominated this year, I don't think so. Still, Oscars are always important in terms of vision, who are getting opportunities, what films are told to be great, and whether people are interested in watching.
Alex: These awards aren't important unless the film you like won.
What wins to Kyndall's points makes it safe for the studio to greenlight similar films. Please take a look Parasites victory. It knocked down the door for more Asian expressions. A few years later, Everything is at once anywhere It's coming out.
Then Michelle Yeau wins for that.
Everything doesn't change suddenly, but Oscars can help bring small changes to the industry.
Kyndall: Oscar reflects the story Hollywood wants to tell about himself. After brushing her to the side for years, you can see it when nominating Demi Moore for the best actress of the year. Now the industry is saying, “Oh, we actually value her.”
Shawn: Is Oscar a way of apologizing for Hollywood? Or is it like correcting past mistakes?
Kyndall: That's the case for a particular victory. If Demi Moore wins, I certainly see it that way.
Alex: Oscar is probably the same as “This movie is good” and “If this movie wins, people who vote for the winner of the Oscar will look better.”
It goes back to the whole idea that the award wants to sell a bigger story about who is voting and who perceives it.
Shawn: To change the film Hollywood is willing to make and go back to what you said about the Oscar victory: Do you see the changes coming out of this year's candidates?
Kyndall: It's hard to say, but if anything, you'd think the studio is more interested in Middlebrow adult films. conclave.
if Nickel Boys -This is about the relationship between these two black men. This was more final. But in reality, the fact that the film hasn't been talked about anymore also speaks of Oscar's limitations. There is no linear effect. Just because black or Asian art has achieved a big victory in a year doesn't necessarily mean you want to get more of these films, or all of a sudden the academy wants to award these films.
Alex: This makes me sound like a sarcastic guy and don't let Oscar voters assassinate me for this. Emilia Perezlooks very progressive on paper. It has a trans lead, transgender story at its heart, it is Spanish, and it has a woman of color, the best supporting actress candidate.
But looking at the actual text of the film, one of the criticisms it faces is that it is regressive and created by a French director who appears to be completely unthinkable in ideas about Mexican culture. And it still gets all these awards and recognition.
Ironically, I think it's because there's so much that voters want to reward. And by giving it a prize, your group will look like a diverse and progressive organization.
Kyndall: There are certain types of diverse films that the Academy feels willing to embrace.
I see it with that distinction Emilia PerezThere are plenty of sensational violence and stereotypical depictions of Mexican and trans people, with far more subtle portrayals Nickel Boysespecially compared to other black films about the segregation and civil rights era, it doesn't visualize violence and is very kind.
Shawn: The academy throws the towels and tells Kindal and Alex, you are the Queen and King of Oscars, and you all decide who wins. Who do you give the top award?
Alex: All awards will be awarded to Ariana Grande. The best cinema shoot? Ariana Grande. The best actress? Ariana Grande. The best director? Ariana Grande.
This is my chance, I loved Ariana Grande evil. She thought it was amazing. I want to see her in another movie.
I also think Dennis Villeneuve, who directed it. Dune 2 – It's absolutely odd that the guy isn't winning. Madness. That's insanity for me.
Nosferatu You need to get the best cinema shoot. I've been there Nosferatu Pill. If Ariana Grande cannot win all awards, then go to Count Orlock Nosferatu Some wins.
Kyndall: For the best photos, Challenger It'll be a lot of fun. It's a fun, horny movie that tells the crowd of Snowby Oscars who need something clever to win. I also think I'm the director, Luca Guadanino. ChallengerI am behind the recognition of some kind of Oscar.
Alex: Score from Challenger? For example, if you can't give a score nomination to the Challenger, you can't take Oscar's organization seriously.
Kyndall: At least nominated! For the best actress, I have to scream at Marianne Jean Baptist, who starred The difficult truthshe plays this working-class British woman. It is a very realistic portrayal of people who cannot cope with living in the world or being a person in society. And the film itself seems very smart and entertaining, and is a great realist film.
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