ACADEMY AWARD NOMS

Academy Awards nominations were announced this week, and as always… snubs abound! While the most talked-about one is undeniably Lady Gaga’s all-or-nothing performance as Patrizia Reggiani in Ridley Scott’s HOUSE OF GUCCI, my frustrations lie elsewhere. Although DUNE secured a whopping ten nominations, I was surprised Best Director wasn’t among them; without Denis Villeneuve’s unbelievably ambitious vision and execution, the film could never have achieved its grand spectacle. Another glaring omission from the list was THE GREEN KNIGHT and Andrew Droz Palermo’s gorgeous cinematography; or David Lowry’s inspired direction, which managed to make a centuries-old legend feel fresh. Lastly, I would have loved to see pretty much anyone from the cast of ZOLA—Colman Domingo in particular—nominated for expertly walking the tonal tightrope between groundedness and absurdity. The Oscars are always a mixed bag though, and there are some unexpected joys among this year’s contenders: I was thrilled to see Jane Campion’s THE POWER OF THE DOG deservedly sweeping the noms, and surprised and delighted for Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s DRIVE MY CAR to be recognized among the Best Picture nominees. As incremental as it may be, seeing the Academy widen its scope beyond old-school Hollywood fare feels exciting—and I look forward to the changes to come.

—Alicia Devereaux, Development Assistant