For me, one of the highlights of this time of year is the
plethora of quality films (note: some years may not be inundated with quality
films, but there is at least the hope of such films being released). Like some people get excited about football
season, I likewise spend my year prepping for Oscar caliber films. I do my research and keep my ear to the
ground, listening for the buzz on each film.
One of my favorite pop culture sites, Vulture, has been doing a weekly
recap of films that are contending for awards season and chronicling which
films are going up and down in terms of nomination expectations. It almost makes me giddy!
Last week the Golden Globe nominations were announced and I
thoroughly enjoyed reading through the nominations – exclaiming at the
unexpected nods (Julia Louis Dreyfus for Enough
Said – excellent) and in shock by the snubs (James Gandolfini also from Enough Said – to be honest, I wouldn’t
have nominated him myself, but Hollywood loves to award actors posthumously).
Now, at times I step back and reflect on how silly this all
is in a way. I mean, there’s an existing
system that says if you want recognition in award season, release your film at
the end of the year. There are intense
strategies and marketing ploys that are concocted to garner attention for each
respective film. In a lot of ways, the
winner is often determined by the company that spends the most money or
arranges the most appearances by their actor/director. It’s for that reason, that I appreciate
directors who refuse to play that game.
One who comes to mind for me is Woody Allen. I don’t see him “play the game” for
awards. His most recent film, Blue Jasmine, was released over summer –
definitely not the location for quality films.
Yet, despite the film’s “poor placement” it has been receiving nods this
awards season, especially for Cate Blanchet’s mesmerizing performance (side
note: one of the welcomed surprises was seeing Sally Hawkins recognized for her
supporting performance in the same film).
Allen has typically not attended any of the awards shows (even when he
was heavily expected to win). You get the
sense that he doesn’t make films for the awards, but because he is an artist
and is always creating. I can respect
that.
Despite my frustrations with the system, I still find
myself each year eagerly awaiting the films to be released. And the deal has been sweetened again this
year with Amy Poehler and Tina Fey returning to host the Golden Globes. While the show itself cannot top the Oscars
in terms of overall importance, I’m giddy squared to see my two favorite comediennes
hosting. It absolutely makes me want to
do a little jig in excitement.
Basically, it will be the equivalent of a little girl getting a pony for
Christmas – this is me having Amy and Tina host. OK, maybe a slight exaggeration (slight).
So, while I may be behind on my film screenings, I’m eager
to catch up with my upcoming Christmas break.
To the theaters!
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