The Oscars 2020 are just around the corner, and the nominees for the most prestigious film awards are already known. But is the Oscar really the right criterion for the best films, the best (leading and supporting) actors and actresses, the best original screenplays...? We've compiled a list of films that were unfairly overlooked at the 2020 Oscars.
Oscars 2020 will be awarded February 13, and some of the biggest names in the world of acting and directing are competing for them.
After reviewing this year's list of nominees, it is clear that they are back at the Academy forgot about diversity - only two of the twenty actors and actresses on the list of nominees are not white, and the director category is again dominated by men. In any case, the Academy missed out on a lot of great films, amazing actors, original screenplays, innovative directors, etc. Here are just a few that have been overlooked and deserve to be noticed by the Academy.
Oscars 2020: The films that were unfairly overlooked
Comedy drama
The Farewell (2019)
The film's director, Lulu Wang, was completely invisible this season in the shadow of Quentin Tarantino, Noah Baumbach, Rian Johnson, Bong Joon Ho and Sam Mendes. Even the actress Awkwafina, who received the Golden Globe for the leading female role in a musical or comedy, was not among the nominees for the best actress. The same fate befell Zhao Shuzhen, who would have earned a nomination for her supporting role in Farewell.
Drama
Diana (2019)
The Kent Jones film was the biggest winner at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival and has since earned a nomination and a Film Independent Spirit Award (for Best Debut and Best Actress for Mary Kay Place) and two Gotham Awards (for Best Director and for best actress). Lead actress Mary Kay Place was named Actress of the Year by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, and in a perfect world, she should be in the Oscar race!
Crime drama
Hustlers on Wall Street (2019)
One of the biggest surprises is that the Academy did not include Jennifer Lopez in the list of this year's nominees, who played an excellent supporting role in the film directed by Lorena Scafalia, which should undoubtedly have included her among the Oscar nominees. Her fantastic performance was noticed both at the Foreign Press Association (Golden Globes) and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and at the Film Critics' Choice Awards. It was the SAG nomination that made it seem completely unbelievable that Lopez didn't get her first Oscar nomination this year.
Teenage comedy
Booksmart (2019)
The film received some of the best reviews of the year, and Beanie Feldstein is nominated for Best Actress at the Golden Globes. The screenplay for the movie Booksmart, which was named the most original screenplay of the year by the Writers Guild of America, also raised a lot of dust. Despite all these accolades, the film was completely overlooked by the Academy. Thankfully, Wild's incredible genre twist and Kaitlyn Dever's memorable performance are sure to help the film resonate much longer than some of this year's Oscar nominees.
Drama
Clemency (2019)
Neon's Parasite is this year's Oscar nominee for feature film. If only the movie distributors were as loud as they were with the movie Clemency! Chinonya Chukwu's prison drama garnered attention at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Grand Jury Prize, and it would be fitting that Alfre Woodard also get a nomination for this year's Oscar for Best Actress. Her performance was noticed and rewarded with a nomination at both the Gotham Awards and the Indie Spirit Awards. Aldis Hodge's supporting role would also deserve much more attention at this year's Oscars.
Musical drama
Her Smell (2019)
Emmy-winning Elisabeth Moss could, without a doubt, be nominated for Best Actress. In Her Scent, directed by Alex Ross Perry, Moss transforms into the destructive punk rocker Becky Something with a superb performance. Moss definitely made a career breakthrough with this role, which was also recognized at the Gotham Awards and the Indie Spirit Award, where she was nominated for best actress. Apparently, her role, imbued with pain and a search for meaning, was not flashy enough to be noticed even at the Academy.
Romantic drama
Queen and Slim (2019)
Director Melinda Matsoukas' boldly elegant film has been truly unfairly overlooked. Jodie Turner-Smith's superb performance as Ditto created one of the most original Hollywood characters of recent times.