Wow... A STAR IS BORN snub?!

[roadmixer]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 1:50am

Am I the only one who thinks that A STAR IS BORN was a much stronger film than BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY? Surprised at the Golden Globe win for the Queen flick although I do love Queen...

[BenElliott]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 2:07am

The Golden Globes were a hot mess tonight. I don't know about the diversity of the Globe voters, but they definitely seemed to vote like old white men.

I would like to mention that while Bohemian Rhapsody is a boring, paint by numbers biopic that's also guily of straightwashing [edited by moderator]. The fact that it won over A Star is Born, which is a beautifully done film that I could see becoming a classic, is unbelievable to me.

Also, how is Green Book gaining the attention that it is? It's really nothing special on top of the fact that it's deeply problematic in its discussion of race. It's a blatant white savior film that only would've been considered progressive in the 60's. I guess it's a feel good movie about racism that white people can pat themselves on the back for making. There's all of this as well as the issue that the Shirley family has spoken up and told people not to watch this film because they were not asked to share their side of the story and that the film is whitewashed history that really isn't true at all. In 2019, we shouldn't be supporting work like that.

Also, I thought The Marvelous Mrs Maisel was seriously snubbed, although I was happy to see The Americans finally win.

Anyways, I'm happy to see Olivia Coleman and Sandra Oh win, even though I'm upset that Jodie Comer has yet to be recognized for her absolutely brilliant work in Killing Eve.

Updated On: 1/7/19 at 02:07 AM

[LuPita2]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 2:45am

Fun and surprising, not the same predictable crap. I loved that Roma got love, and that Regina King, Sandra Oh, and Mahershala Ali all won for their brilliant work. 

Updated On: 1/7/19 at 02:45 AM

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 3:18am

When Green Book and Bohemian Rhapsody win best picture, they sure as hell are voting "like old white men."

BTW I totally agree that Green Book is a disgusting film. A movie made to make white people feel better about themselves when it was all just a big lie.

Happy for Roma. Hopefully it will end up in the best picture race and not in best foreign film race at the Oscars.

[binau]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 3:39am

The queen movie did not straight wash. A mainstream mainstream film that celebrates a gay icon and is  brave enough to explore themes such as HIV/aids, gay chem sex/drug use and coming out is something that we should celebrate not scorn out. And of A PERSON OF COLOUR to boot. And you think a straight white man would be more likely to vote for a celebration of one of the greatest GAY musical artists and icons of all time vs another straight romance? It just doesnt make sense and is completely irrelevant for you to say this. But yet again our community loves to pull the identity card every single time. It’s so tiring. 

Updated On: 1/7/19 at 03:39 AM

[bk]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 3:47am

Not only tiring, but entirely predictable.  Frankly, I thought A Star is Born was dreadful and I really liked Green Book and I was and am a HUGE Don Shirley fan, which is more than certain people criticizing others can say.  One wonders if said person actually saw the film or if he had any idea who Don Shirley was prior to this film.

[LesWickedly]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 3:47am

Bohemian Rhapsody is directed by alleged pedophile Bryan Singer. Awful considering last year was all about the Me Too movement (rightfully so) and of course just erase that by awarding this.

[LuPita2]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 3:56am

Nope. He was fired over a year ago from the project.
 

The queen movie did not straight wash. A mainstream mainstream film that celebrates a gay icon and is  brave enough to explore themes such as HIV/aids, gay chem sex/drug use and coming out is something that we should celebrate not scorn out. And of A PERSON OF COLOUR to boot. And you think a straight white man would be more likely to vote for a celebration of one of the greatest GAY musical artists and icons of all time vs another straight romance? It just doesnt make sense and is completely irrelevant for you to say this. But yet again our community loves to pull the identity card every single time. It’s so tiring.

God, THANK YOU!  That response made me laugh out loud. How ridiculous! Old white men would OF COURSE vote for "A Star is Born", it's a remake of a classic they probably all enjoyed a very long time ago. Bohemian Rhapsody was so great and incredibly important. I'm sure it will win many other awards this season!

Updated On: 1/7/19 at 03:56 AM

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 4:25am

Old white men love Queen. Also, I was aware of a bit of Don Shirley's story which is why when the film was told from the point of the dumb white guy, I was quite surprised considering that Shirley is the far more interesting character and I would've loved to have seen more about him. Thankfully, his family shared his story in this article: https://shadowandact.com/the-real-donald-shirley-green-book-hollywood-swallowed-whole

Bryan Singer also directed much of the film and conceived it. It's an awful movie and his connection just makes it worse. I don't think either will be winning big at the Oscars. There are other movies this year that are superior. I don't even think A Star is Born is a perfect movie, but I thought it had higher artistic value than Driving Miss Daisy 2.

BTW Old white liberal men (who are still old white men btw) love Queen and would vote for Queen if it were up against literally anything else.  You really don't understand his fanbase.  I'm not even saying A Star is Born should've won over.  I'm saying that LITERALLY ANYTHING ELSE SHOULD HAVE.

Updated On: 1/7/19 at 04:25 AM

[LuPita2]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 5:00am

Clearly you don't understand his fan base. Or the fact that homophobia still exists in Hollywood? Voters typically vote for what is safe. A Star is Born is safe. That didn't happen here. Watch the movies first before talking about them.

Literally.  

[The Other One]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 7:15am

GeorgeandDot, I saw "Bohemian Rhapsody" with two African American women.  While I loved Rami Malek's performance I thought it was a pedestrian movie that told the story of a unique pop star in conventional if entertaining terms.  I would never have even considered it for Best Picture.  They, however, loved it to pieces.  They loved Queen as well, and spoke so passionately about how much Freddie and Queen had meant to them I was sorry I hadn't been able to see the film through their eyes.

Shall I lecture them about the inappropriateness of their connecting to this band that is loved by (horrors!) "old liberal white men"?  Perhaps insist they remove their songs from their music libraries?  Tell them they are traitors to the anti-white state?

Sorry if I am being ridiculous, but so are you.

To be completely fair to you, I agree that "A Star Is Born" is the better of the two films, though I don't see how it is any tragedy that it didn't win a Golden Globe Award.  And I can see even less how it would be more of a statement of inclusion for it to have won.

But I wonder if you remember that as recently as 13 years ago "Brokeback Mountain" failed to win the Best Picture Oscar (it did win the Golden Globe), lost to a much safer film in fact, despite the fact that it had been highly favored to win, and that many felt that members of the Academy could not bring themselves to vote for a gay love story?  Do you not think that, just maybe, it isn't more of the same when a film about a group other than your own is being acknowledged?  That diversity is meant to acknowledge all beings, and that this award might be seen as a very real kind of inclusion by and of others?

Again, I did not think it was a great movie and there are questions we all ask ourselves when a project we don't love gains awards and/or mass acceptance.  But yours seem remarkably short-sighted; self-serving and indifferent to others.

Updated On: 1/7/19 at 07:15 AM

[The Other One]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 7:21am

Regarding Bryan Singer, it is fascinating to see how he has been erased from all discussion of Bohemian Rhapsody.  No one thanked him at the Golden Globes, he hasn't been interviewed once in the massive promotional push for the film and Rami Malek did not bring him up once at the talk back I attended in November.  It's as though the film directed itself...which, to those of us who weren't crazy about it, would explain a lot.

[binau]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 7:37am

I actually agree that STAR is a much better film, too. But it is so frustrating that suddenly the identity conspiracy theories start coming out as to why it lost. One that seems particularly absurd in this context.

[kofler22]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 7:49am

I am SO happy for Glenn Close! She deserves the recognition and shes long way overdue for an Oscar!!

[JBroadway]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 9:05am

I thought Bohemian Rhapsody was pretty mediocre, but I thought A Star is Born was utter garbage from beginning to end. So while I’m not exactly happy with last night’s outcome, I cant say I agree with the OP.

Green Book winning over The Favourite is laughable - even for the comedy category (thank you I’ll be here Ill week!)

Also, I think safe voting has less to do with content these days, and more to do with cinematic style, as well as HOW the content is protested. Green Book and Bohemian Rhapsody may both be about queer POC, but the are about as safe as you can get in other regards. They’re both classic, by-the-numbers Hollywood biopics. Perfect bait for old-school voters who want to seem progressive without really taking any risks.

Updated On: 1/7/19 at 09:05 AM

[LYLS3637]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 9:18am

I'm hoping this starts the decline of the narrative that A STAR IS BORN is the front runner for the Best Picture Oscar. It is certainly a better quality film than BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY, but does not reach the brilliance of THE FAVOURITE or ROMA or BLACKKKLANSMAN or BEALE STREET. 

I mean, come on, this isn't even the best version of A STAR IS BORN... (though no where near the worst... Babs...)

[ArtMan]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 9:38am

What is funny is that in another thread, many posters were insisting that Gaga and Cooper would win Oscars for their performances, as well as director and film.  I was one of few who stated that would never happen.  I stated maybe a Golden Globe, but no Oscar.  Their chances are even slimmer, now for the Oscar, if they can't even win the Golden Globe. If they do, I will be the first to say I am wrong.  However, I am pretty confident that I will be listening to a chorus of those who were incorrect.

[AADA81]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 10:10am

The Golden Globes aren't voted on by the "Hollywood" that votes for the Oscars; it's voted on by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which is a much smaller group that is notorious for allowing votes to be swayed by outside influences.  This is why the Globes often fail to recognize obvious choices and their credibility in the industry is second-tier.  

[dramamama611]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 11:01am

How exactly did Marvelous Mrs Maisel get snubbed?  Rachel Broshnahan (sp?) won best actress in a comedy.  (And didn't it win LAST year?   While I loved season 2, I do think 1 was a little better.)

[Kad]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 11:07am

The Globes shape press narratives but they are absolutely not indicative of how AMPAS members will vote. There's no overlap in those two bodies and the Globes does their own thing. 

Pay attention to the guild awards, like SAG and DGA, for a better idea of how the winds are blowing with voters. 

If anything, the wins for Bohemian Rhapsody and Greenbook could result in increased scrutiny on those two films and end up working against them- particularly when there are much more beloved choices in the mix. 

Updated On: 1/7/19 at 11:07 AM

[Impossible2]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 11:14am

Ahhh Americans just love their agendas and conspiracy theories don't they...

Gaga didn't deserve to win (and frankly nor did Close in possibly the blandest role and film of her career) she did a perfectly adequate job apart from her fantastic singing, but it's not American Idol it's a film. As for those saying it was a terrible film, don't give up your day jobs. It was beautifully shot, well very edited and directed and Cooper was fantastic in the lead role. Was it perfect no, it had major problems in scripting after the first hour, but the critics loved it and it'll probably do much better come Oscar time when it's much harder for Murdoch to buy people out beyond the nomination process.

It was an extremely dull night for an extremely dull year in films. I am however glad Criss won for ACS though, his performance was absolutely fantastic and the best given by anyone in film or television last year.

[jo]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 11:28am

*The Disney/Fox transaction is supposed to be completed very early this year and it looks like Disney is already starting to call the shots ( meaning Murdoch is likely not having anything to do with the film studio anymore). 

*Interesting that while many think that the Golden Globes are not good indicators of potential Oscar wins, here is a list of Best Picture winners over the years ( with the Globes categorizing the win as either for Drama or Comedy/Musical) which proves it otherwise.

https://www.ranker.com/list/movies-that-won-best-picture-at-the-oscars-and-golden-globes/oscar-watch

[Impossible2]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 11:34am

I would be totally shocked if BR even got a Best Picture Oscar nomination, though it has been a particularly awful year for films. 

[Kad]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 11:40am

Impossible2 said: "I would be totally shocked if BR even got a Best Picture Oscar nomination, though it has been a particularly awful year for films."

This year's given us Roma, The Favourite, If Beale Street Could Talk, BlacKKKlansman, A Star is Born, Black Panther, First Reformed, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, and others. I'd say this was a pretty great year for films, actually. 

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 1/7/19 at 11:42am

I am glad A Star is Born got snubbed. That movie was only made because Bradley Cooper wanted to win awards and he was checking off all the ingredients that attracts award fodder to guarantee a win. He was really good in the movie though as was Sam Elliot, but Lady Gaga really did give a first-time film performance and it showed. Amateur line readings and surface-level emotion. No nuance whatsoever. It was also weirdly paced, the scenes felt artificial, and even the Globes didn't nominate its substandard screenplay. Bohemian Rhapsody's win was a joke but I expected it because people LOVE that movie. Critics and others hated it, but general audiences ate it up. The positive reaction to the Globes win was huge. I hope that people realize who that movie is connected to and start connecting the dots and Bryan Singer's heinous behavior should not be ignored. All the films nominated for Best Drama should lose to Roma, a movie I also have some issues with but can't deny was a masterfully crafted film, anyway once it competes against the other films. The Favourite, Roma, Burning, Shoplifters, Cold War, Minding the Gap (a documentary), and others that have no chance of garnering awards attention are superior films to any of the nominees for Best Drama this year. American films are behind the foreign counterparts, IMO.

I'm all for Glenn Close winning this year and comparing her performance to Lady Gaga's was a joke. IMO, Olivia Colman, Melissa McCarthy, Toni Collette, Helena Howard, Nicole Kidman, Rosamund Pike, Sakura Ando, Joanna Kulig, and Julia Roberts (yes her too) should all be in the conversation over Lady Gaga.

Updated On: 1/7/19 at 11:42 AM