Every year, the best and brightest in Hollywood meet in a room to be awarded for their contributions to cinema. The only problem is that I do not think the best and brightest get nominated for an Academy Award. Are good films nominated for an Oscar? Yes, but they are just that. Good. I want to see the Oscars transform into something that awards films that take risks and do not cater to specific people.
There are so many great films that are overlooked every year, and I think it is about time that they had their chance to shine. This year, for example, half of the nominations for best picture are films that are based on a true story. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, but I have seen two of the four films and they play it safe. Biographical pictures are usually structured very similarly, and when they are being awarded there is no opportunity for them to grow and change. Many studios see this structure as a “winning formula” so they replicate it in hopes to receive an oscar. The other four films nominated for best picture include: Birdman, Whiplash, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and Boyhood. Not only are these films great, but each one is unlike the other. They are innovative, and bring something new to the table. I love these kinds of films, and more of them need to be recognized. There is no love for films like Nightcrawler, Snowpiercer, Enemy, or Frank. These films do not succumb to common film tropes, and push the envelope for what is expected from cinema. These are the kinds of films that should be rewarded. Also, why does Meryl Streep keep getting nominated? She is a great actress, but her performance in Into The Woods is not worthy of commemoration. Lesser knowns need to be nominated, and films that break the status quo need more recognition.
All the films that are nominated are good, but there were some films that deserve to be on the Academy’s list. With Hollywood evolving, the Academy Awards need to evolve with it. It is time to provoke filmmakers to be creative, and reward them for their success in pushing what is expected from cinema.