Oscars 2019: A Mixed Bag

Matthew Moorey gives a round-up of this years Oscars, which aired on Sunday.

Sunday saw the stars of the films of the past year gather for the illustrious Academy Awards ceremony, the grand finale of the awards season. This year’s nominees list boasted a series of firsts, most notably the first time a superhero film has been nominated for Best Picture in Black Panther as well as Roma being the first Netflix film to be nominated for the top prize. The 91st Academy Awards ceremony boasted a few surprises, for good and bad. The most successful film this year was Bohemian Rhapsody picking up 4 awards, followed by Green Book, Black Panther and Roma taking 3 awards each. It was a surprise to many that Bohemian Rhapsody enjoyed the success it did considering the mixed reviews it has received.

Best Picture: Green Book

Going into the evening, the Best Picture category was almost unpredictable. It was one of the most open in memory with no real leading candidate but Green Book came away with the award in the end, adding to the Golden Globe picked up earlier this year. Despite the open category, many had expected Roma to come away with the award following its success at the BAFTAs recently. Green Book’s win has been very divisive; the film centres on the Italian-American bouncer hired to drive an African-American musician on his tour of the Deep South. Director of Blackkklansman, Spike Lee, was visibly distressed at the win and he reportedly tried to leave the room, later saying the film was “not his cup of tea”. Elsewhere, many pointed out and criticised the predominantly white production team of the film as they collected the award. It has been labelled as a ‘typical’ and traditional Oscar winner.

Best Director: Alfonso Cuarón (Roma)

The most successful individual at this year’s Oscars, as expected Alfonso Cuarón won for best director. In addition to directing, he took on the responsibility of Roma’s cinematography, for which he also won an award, being praised for the look of his heartfelt drama set in 1970s Mexico City.

Best Actor: Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody)

Having dominated this awards season with successes at the Golden Globes, SAGs and BAFTAs, Rami Malek has added an Oscar to his collection. Many expected Malek to win for his portrayal of Queen lead singer and pop culture icon Freddie Mercury. Interestingly, except for Bradley Cooper, all of the nominees in this category were nominated for their roles in biographical films.

Best Actress: Olivia Colman (The Favourite)

First-time nominee Olivia Colman was visibly elated as she picked up the Oscar for her role as Queen Anne in the biographical comedy/drama, adding to her BAFTA and Golden Globe. Glenn Close had been considered favourite following wins at the Golden Globes and SAGs, meaning her wait for an Oscar will go on after her record 7 nominations but no wins. This does not mean that Colman’s win was undeserved, as she captured the hearts of many with her emotional performance.

Best Supporting Actor: Mahershala Ali (Green Book)

Much like Malek, Mahershala Ali has dominated this awards season following wins at the Golden Globes, SAGs and BAFTAs. Ali has had two Oscar wins from two nominations following a first win in 2017 for his role in Moonlight. Despite not winning the Oscar, first-time nominee Richard E. Grant has perhaps won many hearts over the course of this awards season with his continued enthusiasm and excitement making him a joy to watch.

Best Supporting Actress: Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk)

Another first-time nominee, Regina King picked up the award for best supporting actress after being the favourite to do so, with this award being the only win for Barry Jenkins’ If Beale Street Could Talk. King was also awarded a Golden Globe earlier this year.

Best Foreign Language Film: Roma

Despite not picking up the best picture Oscar, Roma did win this category for which it was the undisputed favourite from the start, making it the first Netflix film to have this much success.

Best Animated Feature Film: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Best Adapted Screenplay: Blackkklansman

Best Original Screenplay: Green Book

Best Cinematography: Alfonso Cuarón (Roma)

Best Documentary Feature: Free Solo

Best Film Editing: John Ottman (Bohemian Rhapsody)

Best Original Song: Shallow (A Star is Born)

Best Original Music Score: Black Panther (Ludwig Göransson)

Best Sound Editing: Nina Hartstone and John Warhurst (Bohemian Rhapsody)

Best Sound Mixing: John Casali, Tim Cavagin and Paul Massey (Bohemian Rhapsody)

Best Visual Effects: First Man

Best Costume Design: Ruth E. Carter (Black Panther)

Best Production Design: Jay R. Hart and Hannah Beachler (Back Panther)

Best Makeup: Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe and Patricia Dehaney-Le May (Vice)

Best Animated Short Film: Bao

Best Live Action Short Film: Skin

By Matthew Moorey

Image Courtesy of Rob Latour/Rex/Shutterstock