The Last Breath of the Award Season: 3 Films I Forgot to Review
With the award season being officially over now, the time has come to catch up and dedicate some words to the films I watched but did not review.
Another year, another award season that gets more attention because of its controversies than its films. But we should look on the bright side; at least it is over now.
To say goodbye to these two underwhelming months, I decided to review the few Oscar-nominated films I watched and never wrote about. In some cases, it was because I only got to see them very recently, and others because I did not have a lot to say. These three films have received one or two nominations each but were not considered in the group of major contenders for the ceremony.
September 5
The film chronicles the Munich Massacre of 1972, when members of the organization Black September infiltrated the Olympic Village, killing two members of the Israeli team and taking another nine members hostage. September 5 follows an ABC Sports broadcasting team that is reporting the sports event and quickly switches to a live broadcast of the hostage situation.
We spend an hour and a half watching people inside the control room as the events take place, but we understand very little about the events themselves. What is happening to the hostages and how the authorities are dealing with it feels very far away, because the film is not about them.
I understand the project’s intention is to highlight how the media coverage of the situation marked a turning point on live news reporting. The crew has to decide whether they want to take a sensationalistic approach to draw viewers or be more low-profile and respectful but run the risk of missing an exclusive.
Still, the result was pretty underwhelming. The trailer promised a thriller, a story that would keep you at the edge of your seat, but September 5 never takes off. It got a nomination for Best Original Script, but I remain very unimpressed.
The Apprentice
The film focuses on Donald Trump’s career start in real estate during the 1970s and 1980s and his relationship with attorney and political fixer, Roy Cohn.
There is a clear intention of portraying Trump as a terrible person and insist on all of his bad qualities. I admit that, not being American, I have little knowledge of Trump’s personal and public life before becoming president, so I ignore how historically accurate the film is.
I do not think the guy is a saint by any means, but the framing cannot give way to confusion. And considering all the praise it has received from the mainstream media, it makes me doubt the veracity of everything the movie claims.
One way or another, I did not find The Apprentice particularly engaging. Another biopic, just like we are used to. Not bad, but unremarkable. However, the performances are deserving of some praise. Both Sebastian Stan in the lead role and Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn give their best, and both got recognized by the Academy with nominations.
A Different Man
Directed by Aaron Schimberg, A Different Man follows Edward, an aspiring actor with neurofibromatosis. Edward is permanently insecure about his appearance, which he sees as an unsalvageable limitation for both his professional and personal life. The offer of an experimental procedure to change his face seems to be the answer he has been waiting for. However, after undergoing the treatment, the protagonist realizes that personal issues go deeper than looks.
The film is well-paced, with a mix of drama and dark humor. The work with make-up and prosthetics to transform Sebastian Stan in Edward was incredible and deserving of the nomination it got. But with The Substance and Nosferatu competing in the same category, winning was almost impossible.
Another thing I enjoyed was the soundtrack. A good jazz soundtrack never fails to charm me. And of course, the performances. All the cast does a good job, but once more, Sebastian Stan shines. His character goes through a complex journey, and it gives him the opportunity to showcase all of his talent. In fact, I personally liked his performance in A Different Man much more than the one in The Apprentice.
And with that, we are done. Award season, you will not be missed.
