The Snubby Awards: 2020 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 2020 Oscars, which was an excellent field and I thought all of the nominees were at least really good.  The nominees were: 1917, Ford v Ferrari, The Irishman, Jojo Rabbit, Joker, Little Women, Marriage Story, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood with the winner being Parasite.  Did Parasite deserve to win or did another film get snubbed?  Let's find out!

#9.  Joker

Joker may take last place, but that simply speaks to how strong this field was.  I really liked this movie.  Joaquin Phoenix is excellent (although he shouldn't have won Best Actor), the violence is surprisingly rare, but effective when it appears, and the subject matter is uncomfortable to the benefit of the film.  It's just a little too long, Zazie Beetz's subplot could have been completely cut out, and the dialogue is occasionally clunky.  Plus it's way too similar to Taxi Driver.

 8/10: Really Good 

#8. Ford v Ferrari

I was surprised by how much I liked this movie.  I'm not really into cars, so I wasn't interested in seeing a movie about a rivalry between two car companies, but I'm glad I did.  The final race is incredibly exciting and both Damon and Bale give great performances.  It just doesn't have the same emotional punch the rest of these nominees have.  Even if you're not into racing, give this one a look.

 9/10: Great 

#7. The Irishman

Another great mobster movie from Scorsese.  This biographical drama follows the relationship between several mobsters and Teamster leader, Jimmy Hoffa.  It's great to see Joe Pesci out of retirement in a very different role for him.  I'm not used to seeing him play an even-keeled character.  De Niro and Pacino are both great, the movie tells a fascinating story, I'm just not sure it needed to be nearly 3 and a half hours long.

 9/10: Great 

#6. Marriage Story 

One of the most miserable movies I have ever sat through, but that was the point.  This movie is the story of a divorce and all the hatred and awful behavior that is brought out in the American divorce system.  This is an emotionally brutal film and I don't think I can ever watch it again, but man, does it make you feel something.  Adam Driver should have won Best Actor, hands down.  It's one of the best performances I have ever seen.  I just wish Scarlett Johansson's character would have gotten more development early on.  I definitely found myself sympathizing with Driver more and I think the movie would be better if we could sympathize with them both equally.

 9/10: Great 

#5. Little Women

I wasn't excited to watch this coming-of-age story about four sisters.  This type of film usually isn't my cup of tea, but I absolutely loved Little Women.  The characters are rich and interesting, the acting is top-notch, the non-linear storytelling caught me off guard, but it's used incredibly well and hits you with an emotional sucker-punch.  I will say Emma Watson's character is by far the least interesting, but apart from that, this movie is excellent.

 9/10: Great 

#4. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

As a film lover and fan of Tarantino, this movie pressed all the right buttons.  I like movies that romanticize the film industry.  There isn't nearly as much violence as you would expect, but it's great when it does finally show up.  Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio give some of their best performances and the sequence where Pitt visits an old movie ranch may be the best directed sequence of the year.  I just felt like the climax of the movie happened too quickly and I wanted it to go on a bit longer, which is impressive considering this movie is over 2 and a half hours long.

 9/10: Great 

#3. 1917

 

This World War I movie is a technical marvel.  They make it look like the whole thing is shot in one take! How?!  It's a masterpiece of cinematography.  George Mackay gives an exhausted, but excellent performance, the German bunker sequence still makes me feel claustrophobic just thinking about it, and the desperate race through the ruined city at night is both haunting and beautiful.  1917 is a work of art.

 10/10: Amazing 

Now we're down to the Final 2, which include the winner, Parasite.  In no particular order...

Jojo Rabbit

Jojo Rabbit is the story of a young boy who is trying to be the best Nazi he can be, but discovers his mother is hiding a young Jewish girl in their house.  Jojo's imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler, doesn't like that very much.  Jojo Rabbit is brilliant.  It's a work of genius.  It's one of my all-time favorite movies.  It's hysterically funny, but then it hits you with a sucker-punch that makes you want to cry.  The cast is brilliant across the board and Scarlett Johansson should have won Best Supporting Actress.  I love this movie and kinda want to watch it again right now.

 10/10: Amazing 

Parasite

Our Best Picture winner follows a young man from a poor family who gets a job teaching English to a girl from a rich family...and that's all I'm going to say on the subject.  Parasite is another brilliant film that is extremely intense, while also very funny.  It's also one of the least predictable movies I've ever seen.  If you haven't seen it, go check it out.  It's a treat to watch.  I could say more, but you should go into knowing as little as possible.  

 10/10: Amazing 

And the Snubby Award goes to...

Jojo Rabbit!  It's one of the best movies I have ever seen in my life.  As a fan of South Park, this movie was made for me and my sense of humor.  It might be too offensive for some, but it's perfect as far as I'm concerned.  

So, I do say Jojo Rabbit was snubbed, I am totally fine with Parasite winning.  It's also an incredible film and made for a fun Oscars to watch live because it was such a surprise.

Next time I'll be looking at the 2010 Oscars.  Did The Hurt Locker deserve to win or did somebody else get snubbed?  Stay tuned!