It’s been a long awards season with more twists and turns on social media than in Oscar-nominated thrillers. Throughout this year’s race, Best Picture frontrunners have flipped from Emilia Pérez to The Brutalist to Conclave to Anora as the Academy switches gears to agree on a meritorious movie that shines a light on the disenfranchised.
But if voting members hadn’t snubbed Thelma early on, their search for a worthy winner would be said and done. Without cynicism or sap, the action comedy is fun, funny, and heartfelt. It also boasts the first starring role for a then 93-year-old June Squibb (she’s now 95!). Hers is the history-making achievement and inspirational narrative the Oscars love to promote. But Thelma and Squibb were totally overlooked — proving there’s no demographic more marginalized than old women.
This revelation raises concerns regarding female representation (or lack thereof) in a male-dominated industry. Women make up only 16 percent of Oscar winners and 17 percent of nominees. Imagine how much lower these stats would be if the acting categories hadn’t been separated by sex over the last 95 years. Apart from Costume Design, women lag behind in nearly every category.
And it’s not as though charity is expected from the Academy; just a fair shake for the fair sex. Last year, male-centric Oppenheimer received 93 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and 13 Oscar nominations. Yet the Academy totally shut out the female-focused Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. which earned a near-perfect 99 percent approval on Rotten Tomatoes. With 10 slots in the Best Picture category, there should be room for the year’s highest-rated movie — even if it is about girls.
Similarly, Thelma has a 98 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes (higher than any other feature film nominated this year) and 0 nominations. Yet Netflix’s Emilia Pérez (which eked out a mere 72 percent approval from critics and only 17 percent from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes) inexplicably nabbed 13 nominations. That’s more than Casablanca, The Lady from Shanghai, The Postman Always Rings Twice, Bringing Up Baby, His Girl Friday, When Harry Met Sally…, Groundhog Day, Before Sunrise, Psycho, Scarface, Kill Bill: Vols. 1 & 2, Suffragette, Marie Antoinette, May December, The Iron Lady, and Portrait of a Lady on Fire — combined!
If the Academy continues to fawn over manufactured box-checkers like Emilia Pérez and ignore fine films like Thelma, the Oscars will lose all credibility. Clearly, the Guilds need to do a better job of differentiating between campaign hype and deserved work while balancing meritocracy and diversity. Validating more women as well as recognizing a variety of genres including science fiction, horror and comedies is key. To unlock this lesson, check out the merits of the following frontrunner nominees.
The Brutalist
Building Brutalist architecture is used as a metaphor for achieving the American dream — or for artists dealing with patrons. The latter lessens the impact of what could have been a cinematic classic. Instead, the ambitious film takes a big swing and a bit of a miss. Nevertheless, there’s a solid 2-hour drama within this 3-1/2 hour saga. Grade: B-
Does The Brutalist merit its nomination for Best Picture? Yes.
Brady Corbet for Director? Yes. Although his film has problems, Corbet’s ability to make an epic on a relatively small budget is very impressive.
Corbet and Mona Fastvold for Original Screenplay? No. There are too many holes in the unnecessarily long script which shows a lack of judgment in prioritizing scenes. Superfluous action is dwelled on at the expense of covering pivotal points. In other words, the Academy could have recognized Pulitzer Prize-winner Annie Baker for writing Janet Planet instead.
Adrien Brody for Lead Actor? Most definitely. His performance is the strongest feature of this feature film.
Guy Pearce for Supporting Actor? Because Pearce’s portrayal isn’t as memorable or iconic as the “ghost with the most” in the humorous horror flick Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Michael Keaton deserved the nomination.
Felicity Jones for Supporting Actress? Unfortunately, Jones is unable to flesh out her underwritten role. But Margaret Qualley’s dynamic presence is crucial to the body horror satire The Substance, so she should have gotten the nod.
Nick Emerson for Film Editing? No. The second half of The Brutalist lacks cohesion compared to the clever cuts made in The Substance by writer/director/editor Coralie Fargeat who uses the male gaze to hoist sexual objectification on its own petard.
Cinematography, Original Score, and Production Design? Yes, The Brutalist deserves these nominations.
Conclave
Despite some interesting shots and fine acting, this simplistic thriller lacks genuine thrills. The Vatican-set drama about voting for a Pope becomes cringey when — SPOILER ALERT — an intersex Cardinal says he’ll be a compassionate pontiff because he was born with a uterus; as if female sex organs are purses wherein women carry around their empathy. Grade: C
Does Conclave merit its nomination for Best Picture? No, it’s Oscar bait. Rather than falling for this pic’s preachy Presidential election analogy, Academy voters could have opted for the political insights offered in the entertaining biopic The Apprentice.
Original Score and Film Editing? In both cases, Challengers is more deserving.
Suzie Davies for Production Design? Sure.
Ralph Fiennes and Isabella Rossellini for Best Actor and Supporting Actress, respectively? Yes. Their performances elevate the film’s banal script.
Peter Straughan for Adapted Screenplay? Like its source material (Robert Harris’s same-named novel), Straughan’s script has been rejected by the Catholic community for its inauthenticity. The screenplay also contains a cheap Crying Game-like twist that feels anticlimactic. Conversely, Henrietta Ashworth, Jessica Ashworth, and Rosanne Flynn create greater suspense in Firebrand. Based on Elizabeth Freemantle’s historical novel “Queen’s Gambit” (2013), this chilling period piece uses an unexpected fictional twist.
Lisy Christl for Costume Design? Women actually dominate this category so Michael O’Connor might have been given the slot for his work on the aforementioned thriller Firebrand. His lavish Tudor costumes include padding to transform Jude Law into Henry VIII.
Anora
Not unlike Poor Things, this overly-long fairytale about a feisty sex worker uses the guise of feminism to propel a male fantasy. More lewd than liberating, the derivative pic follows shallow characters as it mistakes cussing for banter, improvisation for realism, and formulaic tropes for something unique. Grade: C-
Does Anora merit its nomination for Best Picture? No. The voyeuristic flick is vastly overrated because most Academy members and movie critics are men who might be giving Anora more than their thumbs up. If women held the voting majority, the girl-boss biopic Widow Clicquot could have been in possession of this Best Picture nomination.
Sean Baker for Director, Original Screenplay and Film Editing? For more than two hours, Baker promotes sophomoric humor and softcore porn yet says very little about his main character who is viewed through the eyes of men. These nominations should have gone to Thelma’s writer/director/editor Josh Margolin who fully understands his titular subject and can adeptly tell her engaging story within 99 meaningful minutes.
Yura Borisov for Supporting Actor? Although he may be the most likable person in the movie (a low bar for sure), there’s no way Borisov’s performance merits a nomination over the late Richard Roundtree in Thelma. The Academy really missed the mark by not honoring the first Black action hero in his final film. Unforgivably, Oscar gave Shaft the shaft!
Mikey Madison for Lead Actress? The overeager leading lady gives it her all and then some while loudly flapping her yap and flashing her flesh under Baker’s exploitive direction. If the 25-year-old’s turn as a stripper beats Demi Moore, it’ll prove the themes in The Substance. However, those who prefer a less objectified and more layered heroine will probably wish Haley Bennett received Madison’s nomination since she exposes nuanced strength as Widow Clicquot.
Emilia Pérez
Controversies aside, this melodramatic Some Like it Hot/Sicario/Mrs. Doubtfire/Xanadu mashup contains a slapdash plot about a Mexican drug lord who transitions to a canonized saint. Along the way, underdeveloped characters display inconsistent motives from one incongruent scene to the next. The fact that its pretentious director insensitively capitalizes on cartel crimes makes this poorly-composed musical tone deaf in every sense. Grade: D-
Does Emilia Pérez merit its nomination for Best International Feature Film? No, the nod should have gone to Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez’s Spanish-language drama Sujo since it accurately depicts the dangers of Mexican drug cartels.
Jacques Audiard for Director? The French filmmaker shows little understanding of the subject matter he’s (mis)handling. Consequently, Emilia Pérez has been panned by GLAAD and most of Mexico. Meanwhile, Denis Villeneuve’s detailed approach to the sci-fi epic Dune: Part Two makes him more deserving of this nomination.
Audiard, Thomas Bidegain, Léa Mysius and Nicolas Livecchi for Best Adapted Screenplay? Not with lines like “My pussy still hurts when I think of you” and “He smelled like grass, like mezcal and guacamole.” Certainly there are better things to talk about — like Champagne, love, and building a family brand in spite of adversaries. Such is the stuff covered in the Widow Clicquot script which is based on Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin, one of the most successful businesswomen of the 19th century.
Paul Guilhaume for Cinematography? No. Since the Academy’s inception, it has nominated only three women (Rachel Morrison, Ari Wegner, Mandy Walker) in this category. It’s past time to recognize Widow Clicquot’s Caroline Champetier for her exquisite camerawork. Throughout her esteemed career, the 70-year-old won several European awards yet has never received a single Oscar nomination.
Editing, Makeup and Hairstyling, Original Score, and Sound? Instead of heaping nominations onto one subpar film, it would have been more generous to spread the honors around by respectively recognizing Nightbitch, Waltzing with Brando, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and Blitz in these categories.
Zoe Saldaña for Supporting Actress? It’s considered category fraud when a lead performer falsely claims otherwise to get a leg up over the competition. Elizabeth Olsen delivered a measured supporting turn in His Three Daughters opposed to Saldaña, whose chaotic main character behaves like a lunatic throughout Emilia Pérez. In time, both she and the Academy may regret a win since it means the “La Vaginoplastia” and “Lady” numbers will live on in infamy.
“El Mal” and “Mi Camino” for Original Song? If the Academy was serious about acknowledging women and the immigrant experience, it could have nominated The Last Showgirl’s “Beautiful That Way” co-written and performed by Miley Cyrus and Cabrini’s “Dare to Be” co-written by Andrea Bocelli who performs the ballad with his daughter Virginia Bocelli.
Karla Sofía Gascón for Lead Actress? Except for a few moving moments, Gascón spends most of the movie stomping around and speaking in a heavy whisper like Darth Vader. Just because the Spanish Reality TV star’s performance is better than American co-star Selena Gomez’s, doesn’t mean it measures up to veterans Amy Adams in Nightbitch, Alicia Vikander in Firebrand, Angelina Jolie in Maria, Cristiana Dell’Anna in Cabrini, Marianne Jean-Baptiste in Hard Truths, Nicole Kidman in Babygirl, Pamela Anderson in The Last Showgirl, Tilda Swinton in The Room Next Door, and of course Ms. Squibb in Thelma. No one but this skilled nonagenarian could have convincingly portrayed the titular heroine. It’s a real shame she didn’t receive her due via Gascón’s Best Actress spot.
Does Emilia Pérez merit its nomination for Best Picture? Absolutely not. The trans narco musical is unabashed Oscar bait while the action comedy Thelma is a true catch.
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Click here to hear Janet Arvia discuss these points with Gary Zidek on WDCB’s Arts Section on 90.9FM.