Who will bring it home?
The 91st Academy Awards will air Feb. 24 on ABC with no host. After Kevin Hart stepped down from the position because of controversy surrounding his 2010 stand-up performance involving jokes about the LGBTQ community, ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke announced that there will only be presenters. Despite all the controversy, several performances and creative visions from 2018 are Academy Award-worthy.
Best Director: Alfonso Cuarón
The director of “Gravity” and “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” created a black-and-white picture that tugs on the heart strings. “Roma” depicts the life of an indigenous maid and the middle-class family she works for in a Mexico City neighborhood in the 1970’s.
Best Actor: Rami Malek, “Bohemian Rhapsody”
Freddie Mercury represents an important piece of music history, and playing him on the big screen was a grandiose task to undertake. Malek channeled Mercury’s understanding and ability to use music as a way to create common ground between marginalized groups and the masses.
Best Actress: Glenn Close, “The Wife”
Glenn Close is a “king maker” in this film: poised, brilliant and strong. “The Wife” focuses on the difficulties of marriage and legacy. Close’s performance was a true testament to female resilience.
Best Original Screenplay: “The Favourite”
“The Favourite” exemplified how conversation can be just as captivating as action and crazy visuals. The entire screenplay makes the audience question their morals, beliefs and influence.
Best Picture: “Green Book”
A true story about the humanity that rests within us all. Two men from very different worlds realize that there is more than meets the eye — an example for our current political state.
Cinematography: “A Star is Born”
The film has many settings, and each one makes the audience feel immersed by the multitude of camera angles, color and background. Country and pop music genres are seamlessly meshed in this film.
Best Original Song: “Shallow” from “A Star is Born”
After climbing the charts, “Shallow” seems to be far from losing this award. Filled with powerful lyrics and impressive vocals, Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper enshrined “A Star is Born” in cinematic history with this song. Listeners can’t avoid the heavy feeling that is seated in their chest as the song progresses.
Written by: Josh Madrid – arts@theaggie.org
