Written by Scott Russell
Each year there is a huge focus on those pictures that have been nominated for best picture and rightly so, it is the most prestigious award in Hollywood. However, other films that don’t quite make the cut can still be celebrated for their feats in movie making. They tend to not be your standard Oscar nominated fair, but their technical ability is worth a closer look.
So here are the movies that have gained more nominations than The Post (a best picture nominee with only two award nominations) and a quick study into the categories they’re nominated for.
Check out the multi-nominated films and tell us you thoughts on them in the comments below!
I, Tonya
Three Nominations (Best Actress, Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Film Editing)
I, Tonya is the “true” story of Tonya Harding, an infamous Olympic figure skater, and the “incident” that occurred in the 1994 Winter Olympic. The film stars Australia’s own Margot Robbie, who’s company also produced the picture.
This film is a vehicle for some truly stellar performances, so the fact that two of its awards are for Margot Robbie’s portrayal of Tonya, and Alison Janney’s viciously indelicate performance of LaVona (Tonya’s mother) comes as no surprise. These characters are larger than life and could easily have been overplayed, but both Robbie and Janney never venture into caricature. Robbie underwent four months of training in order to play the part and her intense dedication is clearly viable. She also brings a vulnerability to a rather harsh character, especially in a particular scene where she’s forcing herself to smile through her tears.
The standout here, however, is Janney as LaVona is deeply repulsive in every way. She swears at children, frequently abuses her daughter and treats every person she meets like dirt. Yet, every time she is on-screen is an absolute treat with her comedic timing driving the movie. A special mention should also be made to Sebastian Stan’s performance as Jeff, Tonyas’s abusive yet engaging husband, and Paul Walter Hauser’s perfect resemblance to the real Shawn.
The third award that I, Tonya has been nominated for is for Film Editing. This is due to its interesting narrative device, especially since the real life accounts of this story are filled with so many contradictions. There would have been no way to tell a true account of this horrible event. So instead of fighting this, the filmmakers have played wildly with the unreliable narrator. The way the film cuts between different characters accounts of the events draws you in and connects you to the film in a way not often seen with these true stories.
It is surprising that I, Tonya wasn’t nominated for best picture, especially when compared to some of the other nominees. However, its strengths have been recognised and its unique telling of a true story makes it a much watch.
Baby Driver
Three Nominations (Film Editing, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing)
If you’ve ever wondered what these three categories actually are, then Baby Driver is the perfect demo reel for you. Directed by Edgar Wright, it’s a meticulously constructed film that pushes editing and sound design to its limits.
Baby Driver is the story of a young getaway driver named Baby, with an awful case of tinnitus, who is constantly listening to music to tune out the ring in his ear. After being coerced into driving for one more job, Baby comes face to face with the cities’ most dangerous criminals, putting the people close to him in danger.
Any fan of Edgar Wright knows what to expect here; fast paced editing with clever use of sound effects. But in Baby Driver, Wright has taken it to a whole other level with every single moment of the film has been choreographed and edited to the music playing on Baby’s iPod. Each action scene is elevated to something beyond your standard heist movie. Every punch hits harder to the beat of the music, every gun shot is ingrained into the soundtrack and the energy of the movie drives along at a kinetic pace. The editing and music played such a huge part in the story that the editor was actually on set, editing the film as they shot it, making sure that each take would match the songs perfectly.
There is one particular shot near the start of the movie that showcases these strong elements; Baby is walking along the street getting coffee for the rest of the gang. This might sound like a mundane task that has no place in an action movie, but Edgar Wright uses this moment to set up the world and uniqueness of the movie. Harlem Shuffle plays as Baby struts along; each step matching the beat of the music with each following action perfectly timed to the beat an lyrics. There are words in graffiti and signs at various points along the street that enter the frame at the exact moment the lyrics are sung in the song. And then there’s the sound design as every sound that we hear in the outside world has been layered to compliment the music. Bells ring when doors open at just the right pitch and beat to add a whole other level to the already great song.
Baby Driver is a technical masterpiece and while it might not be a best picture winning movie, it completely deserves the awards its been nominated for.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Four Nominations (Original Score, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Visual Effects)
The Last Jedi has been talked about nonstop since its December release, dividing fans right down the middle. Some consider it a fantastic addition to the franchise, while others want it removed completely. Its plot and plot holes have been examined and re-examined many times, but let’s talk about something else, the technical aspects, which is where this movie shines. Fair warning, there will be spoilers.
The Last Jedi is filled with grand shots of CGI worlds, loud action pieces, and a swelling score by John Williams. There is one point in the movie where all of these elements work seamlessly together, which justifies the four nominations. The scene in mention is the point when Vice Admiral Holdo sends the sole remaining rebel ship straight into the pursuing Star Destroyer at lightspeed. Rey And Ren have just teamed up to fight the royal guards, with John Williams beautiful track ‘A New Alliance’ underscoring the fight. This track is a fantastic mix of old themes from the original trilogy combined with new tracks that really drives the emotional beats of the sequence. The music continues to build as it seems like all hope is lost for the Rebels. The usual Star Wars Sound Effects of lightsaber clashing and blasters firing amp up the tension to this exceptional point. When Holdo makes her heroic move something unusual happens for a blockbuster; the sound cuts out. The images on-screen are left for the viewer to really take in without distractions, and they’re beautiful. The Star Destroyer being torn apart is an example of when CGI really excels. It’s big, bright, believable and leaves you with a sense of wonder. Then the sound kicks back in and you get a second hit of the event on display.
This one scene alone puts Star Wars thoroughly in the run to win the nominated awards. Although, if there is one thing letting it down, it would be some of the creatures CGI in the rest of the film as it is inconsistent in quality.
Blade Runner 2049 – Five Nominations (Cinematography, Production Design, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Visual Effects)
And now we move on to a completely different science fiction movie, Blade Runner 2049. While it is great that the academy is acknowledging a fantasy based movie in The Shape of Water, it is a shame that they couldn’t stretch the nominations to include Blade Runner. This film created a slow burning experience that asked some deeply personal questions, whilst doing it all beautifully. Again, spoilers ahead.
Blade Runner 2049 continues with the themes and questions left from the original; predominantly “What does it mean to be human?” The story follows Blade Runner K who is investigating a replicant that has supposedly given birth. What starts as a manhunt quickly becomes a tale of personal discovery; the feeling of thinking you’re special before realising you’re just like everyone else. But do you have to stay that way? Sci-fi can be an escapist piece of entertainment, at its best though, it can leave you thinking for days about yourself and the world we live in.
There are so many elements at play here, but lets focus on what the film has been nominated for.
Roger Deakins has been nominated for Best Cinematography fourteen times, and has never won. With tough competition coming from Dunkirk this year, it might not be his to win again, but he definitely deserves it. Every single shot in Blade Runner 2049 is an artwork. If someone doesn’t know what the job of a cinematographer is, show them this movie. The colour, lighting, framing all works together to help convey emotion in each and every scene. The shots linger and you’re drawn into every detail of the frame. Then you add the digital colour correction to create striking contrast.
Visual Effects doesn’t necessarily only include CGI, it’s any effect, practical or digital. Unlike other current films in its genre, Blade Runner surprisingly uses a large amount of practical effects. The design of the city and world is a nice blend of futuristic and modern architecture that creates something distant, yet eerily similar to modern-day. This design has been brought to life by incredibly detailed miniatures that were then touched up with digital imagery. It works perfectly and sets up an absolutely chilling climax.
The film comes to a confrontation at the edge of the city’s walls, that are constantly hit by the crashing waves of the ocean. K struggles to save Deckard from a sinking car whilst fighting the main antagonist. The sound here is intense and hard-hitting with each wave crashing emphasising every punch. The threat feels real and visceral.
Blade Runner 2049 unfortunately underperformed at the box office, and in today’s day and age of big blockbuster movies with lavish budgets, that can affect a whole genre of movies. Hopefully the awards recognition justifies such a brave move from this studio. Yes, it could have been nominated for many more awards, particularly Ryan Gosling’s subtle performance as K, but where the movie excels is where its gotten the most recognition.
All of the above movies are worthy of the Oscar recognition and should not be overlooked this Oscar season. They demonstrate an understanding of very specific skills that don’t tend to be highlighted in all the best picture nominees. If you’re catching up on the Oscar films and want something different from the usual Oscar fair, be sure to check out these entertaining and skilfully constructed films.
Tune in on March 4th (US) to see who wins in this tight Oscar race!
