You and Me and Every Academy Awards-Nominated Movie We’ve Ever Known
The most consistent thread running through the 2019 Best Picture candidates is ingenuity.
Here we have it folks, the Academy-Award nominated films of 2019! After Donald Trump’s tumultuous first two years in office, many directors really turned out something special for the cinema in 2018. The movies this year became equal parts escapism and realism, nostalgic and inventive all at once. And while we saw some movies with familiar tropes earning places at the top of the ticket, in a world as uncertain as this one, these films were just what the doctor ordered. Here are the Best Picture contenders of 2019.
White, Blue, and Red: In this heady action film set during the Korean war, a young soldier attempts to reconcile love for his country and the atrocities of war. Its controversial look at the American military’s place in a changing world brought movie-goers from across the aisle together around an issue that resonated this year in particular: what does it mean to fight for your country?
The Star of Mumbai: A beautiful young woman with a gift for singing, dancing, and acting pursues her dream of acting in the movies. Working dead end job after job, a moderately famous director seeking a career reinvention himself discovers her singing at an open mic night of a restaurant where she works as a waitress: so launches their dual journey to fame and fortune. This re-imagining of a classic Hollywood tale set in the heart of Bollywood taps into the audience’s love of show business while also holding up a sometimes unflattering mirror to Hollywood’s (and Bollywood’s!) dark side. And, like all good Bollywood and classic Hollywood films, it’s a musical.
La Crisis: In April of 1961, the United States narrowly avoided nuclear war with Castro and his Soviet Union-backed Communist Cuba. This fresh look at the true heroes behind the international crisis known as The Bay of Pigs uncovers the too-often marginalized people that saved America, and the world: the Latina translators who worked in the White House and de-escalated tension between Kennedy and Castro.
Reckoning: Struggling with a job that pays too little and family that asks too much, a Tennessee man leads the police on a chase through the South as they pursue him for a crime for which he is only partially responsible. Unfortunately, his daughter gets taken along for a ride, and it is their companionship that makes this modern Western a true contender for the most heart-wrenching, unflinching film of the year.
Bar Harbor: Unforeseen circumstances cause a grippingly-played New England man to abandon his daily routine and confront the demons in his past. Equal parts emotional drama and love letter to the North East, Bar Harbor is a quiet film whose steadfast filmmaking and stunning performances reveal beauty in desolation.
The Ripple Effect: The suburbs of Memphis seem a placid place at times, but the story of a young African American woman’s growing up amidst the pressures of a culture that too often bars her path to success complicate the sleepy South. A tender and searing look at growing up black in America, this story shows the power of community and independence all at once.
Fire Escape: Playwright D.M. Shelfster’s classic short play ‘Fire Escape’ finally gets the cinematic interpretation it deserves. A story of 3 lives inextricably linked by an apartment building plays out almost entirely on the fire escapes of a 1970’s Brooklyn apartment. The characters’ snappy dialogue entrances the viewer just as much as the monologues from which a viewer cannot look away.
Janus: A young man embarks on an epic journey to find the twin sister from whom he was separated at birth. The subtle performances imbue a larger-than-life story with relatable humanity. This story about identity, perseverance, and the powerful draw of family proves that a tale of triumph enchants viewers along every bump in the road.
The Station: Two astronauts who have barely tolerated each other’s presence in the year that they’ve spent aboard the International Space Station find they must work together in order to avoid an intergalactic catastrophe. However, the harsh and unpredictable truth of outer space is just as much a character in this thriller as the trapped astronauts. While the visually stunning rendering of space deserves praise, it is the relationships between the astronauts, planet earth, the galaxy, and ultimately themselves that leaves the viewer’s mind trapped on The Station long after the credits roll.
What’s your pick for Best Picture 2019? Vote in the comments!
