This weekend is the 90th Academy Awards. In the Best Call me by your name film category, Dunkirk, Lady Bird, Pentagon Papers, 3 Billboards, The Dark Hours, Get Out, Phantom Thread and The Shape of Water compete for the ultimate statuette. But before knowing the big winners, let's take a look at the forgotten ones of the four major categories.
Best Film category
If this year, the films vying for the statuette are diverse and varied, from different filmmakers and offering different stories, there are those left behind, as every year. Many films deserved their place in this closed list. Starting of course with Blade Runner 2049. The return to the world of Phillip K Dick by Dennis Villeneuve is a true masterpiece of the genre. A tribute to Ridley Scott's film, this new Blade Runner is a profound, stylized, and absolutely sublime work. This sequel has 5 nominations in technical categories, but Villeneuve's film could convince in the main category.
The big surprise is Detroit shunned by the academy. Directed by a woman, Kathryn Bigelow , dealing with an American social issue, advocating respect for minorities and ethnic equality, Detroit was an Oscar film all spit out. With its cast of young African-Americans with growing potential, Detroit was not selected by this old white academy. There is already Get Out must not push either huh. Another one left behind, Mother! by Darren Aronofsky is not present in any category. Shunned from start to finish, even if the film did not achieve consensus, its new and unexpected approach made it a very good candidate. Worse, Mother! is nominated in the Razzie Awards.
Similarly, the academy has shunned three other films by sublime authors: A Ghost Story, The Florida Project and Good Time. Three stunning works, which are left aside for their lack of visibility to the general public. Yet this minimalist science fiction film, this brilliant social film carried by a very young cast and this humanist thriller fully deserved their ticket to the Oscars. As for the biopic I, Tonya, it is also left out.
Best Director category
A category that opposes Christopher Nolan (Dunkirk), Jordan Peele (Get Out), Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird), Paul Thomas Anderson (Phantom Thread) and Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water).
The academy has left out Mr. Steven Spielberg (Pentagon Papers), who this time will not have a nomination. But the filmmaker doesn't need that anymore. We will miss Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049), for whom obviously no grand prize will be awarded. David Lowery for A Ghost Story and the Safdie brothers for Good Time are also neglected. The little-known Taylor Sheridan is also left out. But his film, Wind River, is produced by the Weistein Company, which may have something to do with it.
Best Actor category
They are Timothée Chalamet (Call me by your name), Daniel Day-Lewis (Phantom Thread), Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out), Gary Oldman (Les Heures Sombres) and Denzel Washington (L'affaire Roman J.).
A category that forgets talented actors like some veterans such as Joaquin Phoenix for A Beautiful Day, once again memorable or Colin Farrell for Killing the Sacred Deer, unforgettable in front of the camera of Yorgos Lanthimos. James Franco is also left out, probably because of his accusations of sexual harassment. Yet his portrayal of Tommy Wiseau in The Disaster Artist is memorable. We can also regret the absence of Ryan Gosling, who carries Blade Runner 2049 on his shoulders, as well as Harrison Ford in the Best Supporting Role for his return as Rick Deckard. Comic book fans must regret that Hugh Jackman did not win a small nomination for his farewell to Wolverine in Logan, as well as Patrick Stewart in best supporting actor. Finally, Bill Skarsgard could also have had a small nomination for his interpretation of flu-pennies in this.
Best Actress Category
The statuette is Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water), Frances McDormand (3 Billboards), Margot Robbie (Me, Tonya), Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird), Meryl Streep (Pentagon Papers).
Left out Jennifer Lawrence for Mother!, who had offered a muscular and trying performance, and Jessica Chastain in the skin of Molly Bloom for The Great Game. Rooney Mara, in A Ghost Story, is also shunned as is Elisabeth Olsen in Wind River. As for Kate Winslet's performance in Wonder Wheel, it remained unnoticed by the academy.
To know the big winners in Oscars, you will have to be awake in the night from Sunday to Monday. In the meantime we let you rediscover all the nominations.
