There’s always this feeling I have about the academy awards.
A strange, grumpy, bitter feeling towards those awards.
It’s always the morning after, rising at sunrise, bubbling around mid-morning, peaking around lunchtime, before eventually fading mid-afternoon, and puffing away like a swot of smoke as night falls.
‘Why?’ I always ponder.
Is it the speeches?
Yes, Joaquin Phoenix loves to moan about the environment and animals and discrediting his own talents, whilst circling the award circuit. Yes, that same award circuit he once criticised many years ago.
Is it the duration?
Three hours to watch rich people award themselves for work that feels unearned or unworthy of such high an achievement, in an industry becoming more and more exclusive.
Is it the politics?
It’s getting worse, or at least more smug. This past decade has seen this pushed idea that people in the film business are people too, and are on your side in the war against corruption, war, violence, injustice and anything that makes them look good in the press.
Or, is it a combination of all the above?
The fact that Hollywood has for so long patted itself on the back for other people’s successes, and painted this idea that opportunities are open for everyone, is very insulting and down right negative to the rest of American audiences.
It’s only become apparent more and more so after the ratings for the Oscars reached plummeting lows in 2018, due to many of the reasons I’ve just pointed out.
Unpopular films, liberal politics, smutty sex scandals, predictable wins and increasing woke wins of films no massive populace is planning to see.
Sorry Parasite.
Maybe one day the Oscars will stagger out of its mid life crisis and focus on being something more low key. A event all in good fun, and praising proper talent for pushing the boundary both on and off camera.
Yet now, all I can do is groan and turn over. 2020 Cinema everyone.
Close On The Big Screen 