The Snubby Awards: 2019 Oscars

It's that time again: The Snubby Awards!  For those of you who don't know, the Snubby Awards take a look at all of the Best Picture nominees from a given year and determine if the best film won or if one was snubbed.  If that's the case, they win the coveted Snubby Award!

This time we'll be taking a look at the 2019 Oscars, which was a pretty weak field.  I'd say only half of them were truly worthy of being nominated.  The nominees were Black Panther, BlacKkKlansman, Bohemian Rhapsody, The Favourite, Roma, A Star is Born, and Vice, with the winner being Green Book.  Did Green Book deserve to win or did somebody else get snubbed.  Let's find out!

#8. Vice

Vice tells the story of former Vice President Dick Cheney, played expertly by Christian Bale.  While there are some funny moments in the film and some really solid performances, the movie comes off as extremely condescending.  It's a movie by the left for the left.  Obviously people on the right will hate it, while the rest of us will enjoy some parts and roll our eyes at others.  The mid-credit scene is borderline unwatchable and I can't give this movie a recommendation.

 5/10: Meh 

#7. Green Book

This probably won't shock many people, but I do think another movie was snubbed this year.  Green Book didn't deserve to be nominated for Best Picture, let alone win.  Green Book follows a black musician (Mahershala Ali) and his white driver/bodyguard (Viggo Mortensen) as they travel through the deep south on a concert tour.  The movie shines when this duo faces real danger at the hands of racist police officers.  All of that works very well, but when the two try to teach each other how to be...better/more black, it falls flat.  The performances are good, but the exploration of racial issues comes off as too easy and surface level at best.

 7/10: Good 

#6: Bohemian Rhapsody

A biopic about the life of Freddie Mercury, I like this film more than most people because I'm a big fan of Queen's music.  The movie gets by on the back of the music more than it should.  Rami Malek is perfect as Mercury though I don't know if he should have won Best Actor.  The supporting actors are all really solid as well.  The first act is pretty hokey and, like Green Book, it's a mostly surface level film.  Compare the film to the very similar Rocketman, which is superior in every way.

 8/10: Really Good 

#5: Black Panther

A superhero movie that explores the character of Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and introduces us to his kingdom of Wakanda, Black Panther is a really solid entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe thanks to its ensemble cast, excellent action sequences, and top-tier villain played by Michael B. Jordan.  Some of the humor falls flat, some of the characters are underdeveloped, and the 3rd act descends into an eye-gouging CGI-fest, but it's still a very fun movie.  It irks me that Black Panther was nominated when it wasn't even the best superhero movie of the year.  Avengers: Infinity War and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse are far more deserving films.

 8/10: Really Good 

#4:  Roma

Roma follows the life of a housekeeper who works for a family in Mexico City.  Roma has a brutally slow start where I struggled to keep focused on the film, but the payoff is totally worth it.  It's an emotional and heart-breaking films thanks to the performances of Yalitza Aparicio and Marina de Tavira.  The cinematography is incredible.  The look of this film is simply a work of art and the story isn't afraid to get dark.

 9/10: Great  

#3: The Favourite

The Favourite follows two cousins as they both compete for the affections of Queen Anne (Olivia Colman).  The Favourite works because of the performances.  Both Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone are marvelous in their roles, but the real star of the show is Colman.  I'm so happy she won Best Actress.  I was really rooting for.  The film is also surprisingly funny and unexpectedly raunchy.  It's a disgusting and vile film, but you can't help but roll around in the filth.  It doesn't quite stick the landing, but it's one hell of a ride.

 9/10: Great  

Now for the Top 2 in no particular order.

BlacKkKlansman

BlacKkKlansman follows two police officers, one black and one Jewish, that work together to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan.  This movie doesn't not hold back with the story it is telling.  It's funny, but dark and it refuses to let you believe that these problems have been settled.  John David Washington, Adam Driver, and Topher Grace are all fantastic, the score is excellent, and the 3rd act is the best directed sequence of the year.  It's not a subtle movie, but it isn't trying to be and I have no problems with the film. 

 10/10: Amazing 

A Star is Born

A Star is Born follows a alcoholic musician who falls in love with a woman and helps her get her musical career going.  As she becomes a star, his fame begins to slip away.  Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga have amazing chemistry and this movie works because of them.  It's a really believable love story and wholly engaging.  In all honesty, Cooper was robbed of winning Best Actor, that's how good he is.  The music is excellent, the characters are well-written, and the story is heartbreaking.  I liked this movie far more than I was expecting and I have no complaints.

 10/10: Amazing 

And the Snubby Award goes to...!

BlacKkKlansman!  It's a fantastic film with a lot to say.  The movie fires on all cylinders and leaves you with a brutal final moment.  It's a movie that has stuck with me since I saw it in theaters and it hasn't lost its impact on subsequent watches.  It was snubbed from winning Best Picture and it's insulting that Green Book beat it out.  

Next time I'll be looking at the 2020 Oscars!  Did Parasite deserve to win or did somebody else get snubbed?  Stay tuned!