With the Oscars just around the corner, many movie fans are assembling watch parties and preparing to see which of their favorite films from the past year will receive a reward for a job well done in their given nominee fields. When it comes to last year’s movies, however, discourse surrounding the nominees has raised an interesting question: are awards shows really relevant?
What sparked this very article was one particular film this year that has many scratching their heads as it had been nominated for the most Oscars this year—thirteen times, to be exact.
The film in question is the musical/ thriller titled “Emilia Perez” directed by Jacques Audiard, which was released late last August. The film follows a Mexican lawyer who aids a notorious cartel boss in transitioning from a man to a woman and dis- appearing from their life of crime. Many filmwatchers took to social media writing that it can be pretty insensitive about the topics it handles with many pointing to the song titled “La Vaginoplastia” which places the topic of gender-affirming surgeries in a ‘goofy’ light, especially considering tension surrounding the issue both nationally and on the global level. Not only that, but many criticize the moral implications of the film’s plot as a cartel boss getting a second chance to transition and disappear after the count- less implicated atrocities they commit- ted. It makes it strange to have them be the central transgender representative in the movie as they’re not exactly some- one the viewer should feel motivated to root for. Upon viewing the film myself, I can’t help but agree with much of the criticism. The insensitive content aside, I personally don’t believe that it de- serves the number of awards it has been nominated for as I feel it had some okay cinematography at best (way too many closeups on characters during performance scenes), and didn’t seem nearly as visually striking as I would expect from a musical. As for the songs, there was nothing very memorable. I’ll give the film props for the scoring of some emotional scenes, but the actual songs that made it a musical felt very forgettable. But who is even deciding what gets nominated for these award shows? When it comes to the Oscars, film nominations are decided based on what members of the Academy of Motion Pic- ture Arts and Sciences deemed worthy of the presented awards of each category for that year. To become a member, it isn’t by application, but rather through gaining sponsorships from one or more mem- bers of one of the institution’s nineteen branches. There seems to be some heavy gatekeeping practices surrounding who is allowed to nominate these movies. That being said, the awards show is mostly meant to showcase what films the Academy believes are eligible. Still, how relevant is the Academy’s opinion to the average person? Do these nominations truly prove the value of a movie, or do they just mat- ter to those who make the choices? This is not to say that all nominees are of the same criteria as “Emilia Perez,” as there are certainly movies that I and many others believe are of higher quality. However, it can easily be seen as a way for movies to simply advertise themselves through nominations and the Academy’s influence. When movies like “Emilia Perez” that receive a lot of criticism from the public are being mass nominated, it’s a wonder how much weight and relevancy this yearly award show really has, and why so many people care for what wins.
Comments