The Oscars: Powerful Nominations

The Oscars: Powerful Nominations

James Paradiso '18 and Malchijah Hoskins ‘18, Staff Writers

The Danish Girl

Directed by Tom Hooper; starring Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander

The most powerful and one of the best films of 2015 is without a doubt The Danish Girl. This movie follows the heart wrenching story of Lili Elbe, a Danish painter and pioneer who underwent the first sex change in history. This motion picture proved to be a cinematic landmark in its incredibly crafted cinematography and set design, along with outstanding costume and makeup. It also perfectly represented its period of time. Tom Hooper, the director, creates a masterpiece once again. Similar to his most acclaimed film, The King’s Speech, he uses symmetry, beautiful color schemes, and magnificent scores to enhance the visuals. Besides the mechanics and amazing writing, this movie is so haunting, beautiful, witty, and saddening.

Eddie Redmayne literally transformed. After watching The Theory of Everything, one would think he peaked in his career. However, he portrayed Lili Elbe so perfectly. He is so believable and you can see the grief and pain in his eyes within every scene. But this film would not have been as amazing without Alicia Vikander, either. Following her critically acclaimed films Ex Machina and Testament of Youth, Vikander bursts with emotions and empathy throughout the whole film. She represents the modern woman and brings her past roles to use in this film. She brings the sternness and drama of Ava, from Ex Machina, and the fragileness and sorrow of Vera Brittain, from Testament of Youth, in her portrayal of Gerda Wegener.

The Danish Girl is so powerful and important in today’s world. Following the success of the LGBT movements in 2015, this movie shows the beginnings and pain in the transgender and LGBT campaigns. It’s so great how movies are bringing potent themes and ideas to life although this film did cause some uproar. Some critics were disappointed in Tom Hooper’s decision to cast a cis male as the title character. If Eddie Redmayne showcased his beautiful talent, what’s wrong? Either way,  I understand the plight of the transgender community to represent its history accurately. Another complication was with the historical inaccuracy, the false information being portrayed and incorrect timing and placement of people in events. I understand that the lack of Oscar nominations is most likely driven by these oversights and controversies.

All in all, The Danish Girl is a strong movie that is not perfect, but I suggest it to all liberals and movie buffs alike with open minds.

(The Danish Girl has been nominated for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Production Design, and Best Costume Design)

 

Brooklyn

Directed by John Crowley; starring Saoirse Ronan and Emory Cohen

Brooklyn is a beautifully crafted period piece with a hint of nostalgia. This work of art speaks to all generations with whispers of reminiscence. This motion picture captures the essence of the 1950s so well that moviegoers are transported into history. Despite a somewhat lackluster storyline, John Crowley, the director, and Nick Hornby, the screenwriter, create a timeless film filled with drama, wit, sadness, and warmth.

Eilis Lacey, a young Irish woman in search of opportunity, portrayed splendidly by Saoirse Ronan, emigrates to Brooklyn through the help of her sister and an Irish priest in New York. Tony Fiorello, an Italian New Yorker beautifully illustrated through Emory Cohen, works his way into her heart once in New York. Later, after the death of Eilis’ sister, she travels home to Ireland to comfort her mother. Although, when in Ireland, she is torn between staying with Jim Farrell, a new love interest played by Domhnall Gleeson, and working as a bookkeeper or returning home for her loved one, Tony.

Since watching Saoirse Ronan, timid and gorgeous in the acclaimed 2014 film The Grand Budapest Hotel, I have noticed, and so has the Academy, that she has flourished in her talent. Emory Cohen, a more unknown actor, perfected his breakthrough role. One can imagine the great prosperity these two young actors will receive with their onscreen charisma, eloquence, and emotion. Another aspect to commemorate these performers on is their accents. The Irish and Italian accents are hard to master without sounding misinformed or stereotypical, yet they did so amazingly.

Brooklyn’s widespread acclaim is not a shock to me though some critics disagreed with their oversimplified and overly-perfected image of the borough of Brooklyn. Yet, the Academy noticed Saoirse’s amazing ability with her nomination for Best Actress, which she hopefully will win. This film rose beyond my expectations with great cinematography, unforgettable performances, and beautiful dialogue and story.

(Brooklyn has been nominated for Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay)

The Revenant

Directed by Alejandro Iñárritu; starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy

The Revenant is a hauntingly gruesome tale held together through Leonardo DiCaprio’s commitment to his role and Emmanuel Lubezki’s astonishingly gorgeous cinematography. Following the novel of the same name, The Revenant tells the tale of a frontiersmen, Hugh Glass, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, in 1823 who barely survives a horrible, vicious bear attack. After leaving him to die and killing Glass’ Native American son, John Fitzgerald, Tom Hardy leaves for camp while taking Glass and his son’s pay. Hugh Glass, miraculously surviving the attack, is on the run from other Native Americans while seeking vengeance from his betrayer but endures near-death experiences and conditions on the way.

More than Leonardo DiCaprio’s journey to win revenge, The Revenant is his trek to win an Oscar. His performance is so committed and horrifyingly beautiful. Even though his performance is one of few words, countless subtitles, and thousands of grunts and crawling, it is far better than all others this year. He does not need words to showcase his prolific talent. Still, he is not even the best part of this film.

All the acting was stunning, but the cinematography was breathtaking. In contrast to his last film Birdman, Alejandro Iñárritu and Emmanuel Lubezki’s choice to film this motion picture under only natural light and use real scenery is profound. His decision to make this film so real and lively adds to the intimacy of this movie. With these life-like traits, this movie transports you to the unrelenting wilderness of the early 1800s. Along with the rugged, harsh images of the wavering woodlands, he coats the movie with moments of artistic transcendence and dreamy imagery. Even though Iñárritu’s decision was costly, dangerous, and pushed release dates back, this masterful photography was worth it. The relationships in this film–Glass and his son, Glass and his wife, the white men and the natives–cannot compare to the compelling relationship between the mesmerizing photography and the relentless wilderness.

Despite the timeless photography and great performances, this movie did have some flaws. The biggest flaw, in my opinion, was its excessiveness. This movie could have been cut down tremendously, and the somewhat frequent breaks grew tiresome and boring making me check my watch towards the end. Although this movie had flaws and is not particularly my favorite genre, this film showcased the whole cast and crew’s talent, and I recommend it to anyone with a strong stomach and appreciation for cinematography.

(The Revenant has been nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Makeup & Hairstyling, Best Visual Effects, Best Film Editing, Best Production Design, and Best Costume Design)