The Oscars sent the right message at the right time
I don’t like bragging. But it’s hard to avoid falling for self-complacency when you accurately predict 13 out of 14 Oscar categories (damn you, Production Design!!).
To be fair, this year’s awards race has unfolded in a rather foreseeable way. Anyone who paid attention to guilds associations and other precursors would have been able to anticipate a victory for The Shape of Water. Not only is this my favorite movie of the year, but I also genuinely believe Del Toro’s period piece will go down as a flawless embodiment of what moviemaking is all about: a universal language of empathy and understanding.
Refusing to follow the norm, staying firm to one’s true self, seems to have been the prevailing tale this year. Frances McDormand, Gary Oldman, Allison Janey and Sam Rockwell’s victories in their respective acting categories also serve as testimony that the Academy has opted for acknowledging characters who, in one way or another, are brave enough to vindicate their individuality.
The war on societal alienation also extended to the other categories. Call Me by Your Name, which to my mind is this year’s other great cinematic gem, won the Oscar for Adapted Screenplay, and Get Out, not my cup of tea but still a meticulous take on racism, won the statuette for Original Screenplay. Two stories which see their characters (rightfully) rebel against social posture.
What’s so great about this year's Oscars is that they have recognized the impact of not just one, but many films that have managed to tick the right boxes and have resonated with audiences all across the world. Crowning The Shape of Water as the year’s Best Picture feels like a necessary tribute to authenticity. Even more so when the narrative flowing out of Washington is precisely the opposite.
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