Last summer, two films competed for viewers – “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer”. The “Barbieheimer” they started became a pop culture phenomenon. The creators and cast later fought for the most important awards in the film industry. Fans of the production expected that the final confrontation would take place during the Oscars. Many of them were surprised when, at the end of January, it turned out that in Gera Gerwing she did not receive a nomination for director, and Margot Robbie did not receive a nomination for the main role.
“Barbie” received eight nominations: best picture, best supporting actor (Ryan Gosling), best supporting actress (America Ferrera), best adapted screenplay (Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach), best song (“What Was I Made For?” and ” AND’m Just Ken), best set design (Katie Spencer, Sarah Greenwood), best costumes (Jacqueline Durran).
While the chances of Ferrera and Gosling in the acting categories were almost zero (here the awards were won by the favorites, i.e. Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Robert Downey Jr.), the creators were counting on awards for costumes and set design. However, the statuettes went to the phenomenal “Poor Creatures”. Interestingly, some critics call Yorgos Lanthimos’ film a crazy variation on Barbie and Frankenstein. Ultimately, of the eight nominations, only one turned into an Oscar – for best song for the duo Billie Eilish and Finneas O.’Connell for “What Was I Made For”.
Netflix’s “Maestro” had a chance for seven statuettes. This is the life’s work of Bradley Cooper, who has been working on it for many years. It is a story about the work and life of the conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein (played by the director himself). Netflix announced the film as an “emotion-packed epic portrait of family and love.” Cooper spent many hours in the make-up chair – 2.5 when he played a young artist and as many as 5 when he needed to be aged. The film had everything to win awards – great names in front of and behind the camera, the biography of a great artist and the demanding make-up of the main actor.
Unfortunately, after the December premiere, critics did not appreciate the director’s effort. “Maestro” was called “Oscar bait” (a film that seems to be tailored for an Oscar). Despite these malice, Bradley Cooper’s work received seven Academy Award nominations – for Best Picture (Amy Durning, Bradley Cooper, Fred Berner, Kristie Macosko Krieger, Steven Spielberg), Best Actor in a Leading Role (Bradley Cooper), Best Actress in a Leading Role (Carey Mulligan), best original screenplay (Bradley Cooper, Josh Singer Oscar), best make-up and hairstyles, best cinematography (Matthew Libatique), best sound (Dean A. Zupancic, Jason Ruder, Richard King, Steven Morrow, Tom Ozanich).
Film experts did not hide their surprise after the film received so many nominations. It was sarcastically said that no one in the history of the Oscars had ever wanted this award so much. It became clear quite quickly that “Maestro” was unlikely to win against the Oscar favorites in the main categories. The creators could have hoped that they would be appreciated in terms of characterization. This award went to “Poor Creatures”. The film “Maestro” did not receive a single statuette.
However, the biggest loser of the gala was “Time of the Blood Moon”. Martin Scorsese’s epic work was one of the most anticipated films of last year. Tickets to the show during the Cannes festival sold out in a matter of seconds. After the premiere, the film was applauded for nine minutes, and critics agreed – “it is a masterpiece worth waiting for.” After the Oscar nominations were announced, “Bloody Moon” was “Oppenheimer’s” biggest rival.
It received ten nominations in total: Best Picture, Best Actress in a Leading Role (Lily Gladstone), Best Supporting Actor (Robert De Niro), Best Director (Martin Scorsese Oscar), Best Original Score (Robbie Robertson), Best Original Song (Wahzhazhe (A Song) for My People)”), best set design (Adam Willis, Jack Fisk), best costumes (Jacqueline West), best cinematography (Rodrigo Prieto), best editing (Thelma Schoonmaker).
Most talked about Lily Gladstone’s chances for the role of Mollie Kyle. “The subtlety and modesty of this creation elevate it above ideological disputes and pathos that could appear even with the slightest exaggeration. Will there be an Oscar? Possibly, and not because of political correctness,” Łukasz Adamski wrote about her in Interia. Gladstone and Emma Stone alternated wins during awards season. The winner of the Oscar race was the latter, who created the role of a lifetime in “Poor Creatures”. “The Blood Moon” had to give way to other films in all categories.