Around the Oscar 2019 film event, this year was especially noisy: the reason for this – the scandals with the lead and the permutation of nominations.
Which movie is nominated for an Oscar this year?
Eight films will compete for the title of best film this year: “Black Panther”, “Green Book”, “Black Clanist”, “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “Star was born”, “Power”, “Favorite” and “Roma”. The last two films became the champions of this year – each of them is presented in 10 nominations.
The Best movie: Roma, Favorite or The Green Book?
If the main Oscar was given for a combination of artistic and technical qualities, then the reward could easily have moved away to either “Roma” or “Favorite”. Both movies have great scenarios and acting. Perhaps, “Roma” deserves even more of its trophy – in the epic from the very heart of Mexico City, Cuarón conveyed his own memories of childhood, capturing the chamber history of the governess, into whose world the brutal reality rushes. But “Roma” is a fully Spanish-language film, and in the history of Oscar for 91 years there has not been a single foreign-language film that won in this category. Add to this the fact that “Roma” was released on Netflix, and the big Hollywood film studios slightly dislike streaming.
“Favorite” keeps aloof from the main category, possibly due to the fact that the film is British and shot by a Greek director. The promotional campaign for the film among film academics was not too loud, which, as we know, influences the final decision. However, if it were not for Roma, the picture of Yorgos Lantimos could be called the nominee who deserved the most victory. At least from an acting point of view, this is the most worthy film.
Why, then, the Green Book? I make such assumptions only based on the film’s award history – The Green Book won the audience voting at the Toronto festival (the Oscar campaigns are usually launched from it), received three Golden Globes, including the award for the best comedy, as well as the prize of the Producer Guild (PGA). There is always a possibility that still “Roma” will take the “Best Film”, but who knows?