Oscars 2020
Previewing the Best Picture Race
By: Prahlad Sankrti
With the Golden Globes behind us and the Oscars coming up shortly (as this piece went to press), it marks a good time to reflect critically on awards season: Hollywood’s annual self-congratulatory tradition of releasing a bunch of movies at once before the new year and determining which ones are the “best” before anyone has the chance to see them! Here are the nominees for this year’s Best Motion Picture of the year: “Ford v Ferrari,” “The Irishman,” “Jojo Rabbit,” “Joker,” “Little Women,” “Marriage Story,” “1917,” “Once Upon A Time… in Hollywood,” and “Parasite.” Below is a quick breakdown of each so that you can sound more cultured when you argue over why the obscure film you just heard about will take the cake over one of the favorites:
“Ford vs Ferrari:” Has Matt Damon, Christian Bale, and fast cars. Need I say any more? A historical “dad” drama that probably won’t win, but the general consensus is it’s a solid film.
“The Irishman:” It’s the 1970s all over again as Martin Scorsese (an iconic director) teams up with Robert De Niro (an iconic actor), Al Pacino (another icon), and Joe Pesci (yeah, you get the idea) to make a movie set even earlier (in the 1950s) with the pacing of a film from the 1930s (it’s three-and-a-half hours long).
“Jojo Rabbit:” A comedy made by the director of “Thor: Ragnarok,” except it’s set in Nazi Germany and centers on a young boy who has Hitler for an imaginary friend. Probably as weird as it sounds, and probably a little too weird to win, but don’t sleep on it.
“Joker:” One of the more popular, “mainstream” films on this list. Its politics are controversial and it’s surely too dark to win. Joaquin Phoenix, though, is the odds-on favorite to win Best Actor in a Leading Role.
“Little Women:” A film adapted from the classic novel, with a cast and director that give it an Oscar-worthy feel. Might actually have to watch this one, which feels like the “dark horse” in the race this year.
“Marriage Story:” A poignant Netflix drama that explores the divorce of Kylo Ren and Black Widow with nuance and compassion. The “Kramer vs. Kramer” of our times, but will it win Best Picture? Eh.
“1917:” It is an old cliche that every great director has to make a war film, and this is Sam Mendes’s (“American Beauty,” “Skyfall”) entry into the genre. To save you time: it’s a ripoff of “Dunkirk” from a couple of years ago. But does that mean it won’t win? Of course not—fresh off of a victory in the Golden Globes, it’s a co-favorite for the grand prize.
“Once Upon A Time… in Hollywood:” A Tarantino film so… expect the unexpected? Did much better than anticipated at the Golden Globes, and any movie about Hollywood flatters the voters—don’t count this one out.
“Parasite:” Oooh. Another co-favorite, this movie is funny, creepy, thrilling, and Korean. A foreign language film winning Best Picture is unprecedented, though based on the reviews, this one has as good a shot as any to become the first.
With multiple controversies regarding race, diversity, and politics in the past couple of years, as well as the changing nature of the film industry since the introduction of streaming services, it’s worth wondering whether the Oscars (and awards season as a whole) are going through a period of decreased relevance. Ultimately, however, the show’s cultural capital hasn’t disappeared overnight, and I know I’ll be curious to see what Hollywood decides on Sunday night.