The Award for Best Picture Goes to…
The 90th Academy Awards ceremony is approaching swiftly with Jimmy Kimmel set to host for the second consecutive year. On March 4th, the world will watch dozens of nominees accept awards for their various accomplishments earned throughout 2017. While there are multiple awards presented to individuals for their excellence in sound editing, production design, sound mixing ect., people tend to focus on the final award of the night: Best Picture.
Get Out: An American horror film written and directed by first time director, Jordan Peele. Peele is mostly known for his skit show, Key and Peele that aired on Comedy Central for five seasons. His directorial debut earned him worldwide recognition, with critics praising his mix of horror with social commentary. Peele has always been known for blending genres by creating culturally relevant skits and content. The film stars Daniel Kaluuya as Chris, an African American man that uncovers a disturbing secret about his girlfriend and her family. Get Out as a whole earned four nominations at the Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Actor.
Lady Bird: A coming-of-age comedy and drama film written and directed by Greta Gerwig. It stars Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf in a story about turbulent relationships during high school. It grossed $48 million on a $10 million budget, proving once again that indie movies can have a huge impact on the mainstream industry. Along with a Best Picture nomination, Lady Bird earned four other nominations including Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress for Ronan and Metcalf’s emotionally charged performances.
Phantom Thread: This is a romantic historical drama directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. It is set in London in the 1950’s and tells the story of Reynolds Woodcock, played by Daniel Day-Lewis. Woodcock is a renowned fashion designer with an obsessive, controlling personality. He often stitches secret messages into the linings of the dresses he makes, signifying his quirky personality and behaviors. Daniel Day-Lewis stated that this film would be his last, so it is only fitting that he ends his career with Paul Thomas Anderson. They collaborated in the 2007 film, There Will Be Blood which was nominated for seven Academy Awards with Daniel Day-Lewis winning Best Actor.
Darkest Hour: This is a British war drama film directed by Joe Wright. It stars Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill, documenting his early days as prime minister during the Nazi invasion across Western Europe. The film grossed $131 million worldwide and was well received by critics receiving an 86% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Gary Oldman was also nominated for Best Actor for his extraordinary performance as Churchill.
The Post: This film is a historical political drama directed and produced by Steven Spielberg. It stars Meryl Streep as the first female publisher of an American newspaper. Tom Hanks, Sarah Paulson and Bob Odenkirk play supporting roles as journalists at The Washington Post. It has been nominated for Best Picture and Best Actress (Streep).
Call Me By Your Name: The first nominee is a film directed by Luca Guadagnino, based on the novel written by James Ivory. It is a coming-of-age film about a romantic relationship between an Italian 17-year-old boy and his father’s American assistant. It is praised for its unique story accompanied by great performances, art direction and music. The lead character played by Timothée Chalamet was also nominated for Best Actor and the film as a whole is nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Song.
The Shape of Water: This unique film is classified as a fantasy drama, directed by Guillermo del Toro and written by Vanessa Taylor. The film stars Michael Shannon, Sally Hawkins and other supporting actors. It is set in 1962 and follows a mute custodian at a high-security government lab. She falls in love with the captured “monster”, and together plan an escape into freedom. It is a mesmerizing film that tells an elegant story in a unique setting. It was nominated for 13 Academy Awards, leading the field in terms of nominations.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri: This is a drama written, produced and directed by Martin McDonagh. It stars Frances McDormand as a mother who rents three billboards in order to draw attention to her daughter’s unsolved murder. Woody Harrelson plays a small town sheriff and Sam Rockwell plays an aggressive man named Dixon. It grossed $111 million worldwide and is considered an instant classic with its unique screenplay and outstanding performances by McDormand, Rockwell and Harrelson.
Dunkirk: This is a war film written and directed by legendary director Christopher Nolan. It stars Fionn Whitehead, Cillian Murphy, Tom-Glynn-Carney, Harry Styles and Tom Hardy in a depiction of the Dunkirk evacuation during World War II. The film features very little dialogue with Nolan doing his best to create suspense strictly from the cinematography and music. Nolan was also nominated for Best Director, his first ever directing nomination.
Get Out: An American horror film written and directed by first time director, Jordan Peele. Peele is mostly known for his skit show, Key and Peele that aired on Comedy Central for five seasons. His directorial debut earned him worldwide recognition, with critics praising his mix of horror with social commentary. Peele has always been known for blending genres by creating culturally relevant skits and content. The film stars Daniel Kaluuya as Chris, an African American man that uncovers a disturbing secret about his girlfriend and her family. Get Out as a whole earned four nominations at the Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Actor.
Award Winner:
The Shape of Water
