This Sunday, February 24th at 5PM PST on ABC is. . . the Academy Awards!
And I'm rooting for ROMA as best picture.
The lack of a host makes it one of note, as it hasn't happened before since Rob Lowe and Snow White's opening number in 1989. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mronRVvdmw
The films nominated for best picture are as follows:
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY
THE FAVORITE
BLACK PANTHER
BLACKKKLANSMAN
GREENBOOK
VICE
A STAR IS BORN
ROMA
Now, they are all great pictures, and despite what some say BLACK PANTHER absolutely deserves to be on this list. Because even though it's a pop corn movie, it's elevated mise-en-scene, acting, and themes more than make it best picture worthy. And I know I should be rooting for A STAR IS BORN in this category, but it has other nominations to root for.
This year, I am rooting for ROMA for best picture.
It's statement on class, ethnicity, patriarchy, and politics shows the world areas it needs to improve, and realities people face.
They say, "oh I don't want to watch a movie about a housekeeper." Why not? When's the last time we had the hero a housekeeper? You want more cliches? And housekeepers and domestic workers absolutely are heroes. Cleo literally saves a child's life. Isn't that what a hero does?
They say, "oh it's slowly paced." That's because the films pacing expresses the pace and tone of domestic work. Which is what our character does. Eisenstein shows us "every element should contribute to an organically conceived whole," and Cuaron furthers that tradition.
They say, "oh it's Netflix! So it's not really a movie." The cinema vs. streaming argument here isn't valid, because it still meets the Academy's standards for feature film.
I wrote a few, initial thoughts about the film on my Facebook wall when I first watched it, and I still feel that Cuaron's most personal film is also the best in the art of filmmaking for 2018.
If I don't move you, maybe my buddy Guillermo will. https://deadline.com/2019/02/roma-alfonso-cuaron-guillermo-del-toro-tweets-oscars-1202554447/
Good luck to the nominees, and see you at Hollywood and Highland this Sunday. ;)
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