Yes, Will Smith slapped Chris Rock. We can move on. The 2022 Oscars showed the best films of the year according to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which Vanity Fair described as “a massive group of industry professionals totaling more than 10,000 members.” These professionals vote on their favorite films of the year, and although they’re not required to watch all nominated movies, they then choose the winners. While these people are making movies, they’re probably not watching as many as the average cinephile, so all Academy Awards should be taken with a grain of salt.
Eight of the usual 23 Oscar awards were pre taped and spliced into the show in 2022. These categories included film editing, makeup/hairstyling, original score, production design and more. While these aren’t the awards that crowds anticipate each year, ABC still received a considerable amount of backlash for removing them from the live show. An open letter was sent to David Rueben, the president of the academy, to express the concerns of the industry. “Critical artistic crafts like music scoring, film editing, production design, makeup, hairstyling, and sound will always deserve the same respect and recognition as crafts like acting, directing, and visual effects,” the letter read.
With this new change, the awards show was already off to a rocky start. The remnants of COVID also added awkwardness to this year’s awards. A lot of the nominees didn’t have theatrical releases, which led to an anti-climatic ballot sheet. Although this year’s films were as qualified as any to be best picture, it felt like some of the glitz and glamor was missing from the show.
“CODA” captured the award for best picture, beating out other favorites like “Dune” and “Drive My Car.” The film centers on a hearing child in a deaf family who tries to help keep her family’s business afloat. Troy Kotsur, who played the father in “CODA” snagged the award for best actor in a supporting role as well. “CODA” was a tear-jerker and a stepping stone in the right direction for a more inclusive Hollywood.
“Dune” swept, taking in awards for cinematography, film editing, original score, production design, sound and visual effects. The film is undeniably well-made, and I think voters were drawn to its beige and neutral mature aesthetics. I do think the cinematography award should have gone to “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” an A24 reproduction of Shakespeare’s tale in black and white. The film was beautifully shot, and black and white is a lost art that fails to get recognition nowadays. Jane Campion took home best director for “The Power of the Dog,” snaking out Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Licorice Pizza.”
There were some 2022 films that weren’t nominated at all. “The Green Knight” failed to grace the academy this year despite its amazing practical effects and moving performances. “The French Dispatch” and “Zola” failed to see the light as well. These films, along with many others, were deemed inappropriate for the Academy awards.
This year the Oscars lost its glitz and glam. It’s now obvious the academy is just made up of out of touch people.. It’s not a groundbreaking revelation, but what the academy says doesn’t really matter. Behind all that prestige, the Oscars are really just a goofy awards show. So keep your favorite film from 2021, who cares what the academy thinks.
