by Vanessa Hague
There are a few things I feel very passionate about in this world - bacon, video games, anything Michael Fassbender stars in - all great ways to get me to blab uncontrollably for several hours until everyone around me is either sleeping or has run away in a bid for freedom.
However, there is one thing that will really get me ranting without fail and that is the all encompassing subject that is award season snubs. I hold grudges for an insanely long amount of time (it's a rather big flaw that I should work on at some point) and when my favourite actors, films, driectors and film genres aren't recognised by whatever awarding body, I do take it slightly personally.
There are a few things I feel very passionate about in this world - bacon, video games, anything Michael Fassbender stars in - all great ways to get me to blab uncontrollably for several hours until everyone around me is either sleeping or has run away in a bid for freedom.
However, there is one thing that will really get me ranting without fail and that is the all encompassing subject that is award season snubs. I hold grudges for an insanely long amount of time (it's a rather big flaw that I should work on at some point) and when my favourite actors, films, driectors and film genres aren't recognised by whatever awarding body, I do take it slightly personally.
Even though awards season is a quite a long way away for the time being, any time is a good time to talk about this particular subject because everyone has that one particular film, acting performance or directorial effort that, at the mere mention, will set them on a downward spiral of angry conversation with regards to how it was criminally overlooked by everyone involved in the industry.
Here are just a few of my choices that go on the "criminally overlooked and snubbed by awarding bodies" list:
Here are just a few of my choices that go on the "criminally overlooked and snubbed by awarding bodies" list:
James McAvoy in Filth:
I have to put this first, as really, McAvoy's performance in Filth is what sparked this whole article. Filth is a definitive powerhouse adaptation of the novel by Irvine Walsh of the same name. It has to be, if it were anything less than terribly unfiltered and downright bonkers, this movie would have fallen at the first hurdle. McAvoy's performance of bent cop Bruce Robertson is one that reflects this and he attacks the role with such gusto that his performance really did take me by surprise. Baby-faced McAvoy, shrugs off his trappings of playing the well mannered leading man and embraces the madness; sexing, back stabbing, drinking and swearing his way through Robertson's mental breakdown which is at the core of the movie. I've only just started to recently get into McAvoy's work and he has incredible range, Filth was one of his best performance's to date and it really was a shame he was, for most part, overlooked.
I have to put this first, as really, McAvoy's performance in Filth is what sparked this whole article. Filth is a definitive powerhouse adaptation of the novel by Irvine Walsh of the same name. It has to be, if it were anything less than terribly unfiltered and downright bonkers, this movie would have fallen at the first hurdle. McAvoy's performance of bent cop Bruce Robertson is one that reflects this and he attacks the role with such gusto that his performance really did take me by surprise. Baby-faced McAvoy, shrugs off his trappings of playing the well mannered leading man and embraces the madness; sexing, back stabbing, drinking and swearing his way through Robertson's mental breakdown which is at the core of the movie. I've only just started to recently get into McAvoy's work and he has incredible range, Filth was one of his best performance's to date and it really was a shame he was, for most part, overlooked.
Michael Fassbender in Shame:
I'm going to couple Michael Fassbender's performance and the movie itself together, as both were overlooked so much so it still brings a tear to my eye. Shame, which was released in 2011, was not only a glorious piece of cinema directed by Steve McQueen (who also got overlooked), but also contained one of the most powerfully moving and raw performances I've seen, ever. This isn't my ridiculous love for Michael Fassbender talking - Fassbender managed to take a man struggling with sex addiction and make him seem human and that’s a hard thing to do as Brandon (Fassbender's character), does some really questionable things due to his struggle. Everyone sang it's praises when it was released, but what happened when awards season rolled around for that year?
Nothing.
I'm going to couple Michael Fassbender's performance and the movie itself together, as both were overlooked so much so it still brings a tear to my eye. Shame, which was released in 2011, was not only a glorious piece of cinema directed by Steve McQueen (who also got overlooked), but also contained one of the most powerfully moving and raw performances I've seen, ever. This isn't my ridiculous love for Michael Fassbender talking - Fassbender managed to take a man struggling with sex addiction and make him seem human and that’s a hard thing to do as Brandon (Fassbender's character), does some really questionable things due to his struggle. Everyone sang it's praises when it was released, but what happened when awards season rolled around for that year?
Nothing.
Christopher Nolan
Nolan is one of my favourite directors, so it does pain me a little that Nolan has yet to receive anything for his efforts. Responsible for rebooting the Batman franchise with the gritty and realistic Dark Knight Trilogy and giving the world Inception, Nolan's directorial style is immediately recognisable - even when he takes a more backseat role (see Man of Steel and the recent Transcendence). Nolan is someone who can take what others would simply see as a Blockbuster movie and inject it with style and smarts and it makes me sad he hasn't had more recognition fly his way.
Nolan is one of my favourite directors, so it does pain me a little that Nolan has yet to receive anything for his efforts. Responsible for rebooting the Batman franchise with the gritty and realistic Dark Knight Trilogy and giving the world Inception, Nolan's directorial style is immediately recognisable - even when he takes a more backseat role (see Man of Steel and the recent Transcendence). Nolan is someone who can take what others would simply see as a Blockbuster movie and inject it with style and smarts and it makes me sad he hasn't had more recognition fly his way.
Leonardo DiCaprio
Do I really need to expand? We've all seen the internet memes and jokes about how poor Leo has yet to win an Oscar for Best Actor. Whilst they're funny, it does also raise the question of why hasn't he won anything yet? Lately, DiCaprio seems to be knocking them out of the park, giving some stellar performances but not quite making the grade. Looking at his last bid for the infamous golden statue, his performance as Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street, it simply astounds that he didn't win nor hasn't won for previous nominations. DiCaprio acts with such an energy and completely give it his all and in my opinion, I think that he should have received the award rather than Matthew McConaughey, but there you go. Another role that I'm surprised he didn't receive more nominations for is his role in Tarantino's Django Unchained. I think the internet will go into meltdown the day he finally receives his Oscar.
Do I really need to expand? We've all seen the internet memes and jokes about how poor Leo has yet to win an Oscar for Best Actor. Whilst they're funny, it does also raise the question of why hasn't he won anything yet? Lately, DiCaprio seems to be knocking them out of the park, giving some stellar performances but not quite making the grade. Looking at his last bid for the infamous golden statue, his performance as Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street, it simply astounds that he didn't win nor hasn't won for previous nominations. DiCaprio acts with such an energy and completely give it his all and in my opinion, I think that he should have received the award rather than Matthew McConaughey, but there you go. Another role that I'm surprised he didn't receive more nominations for is his role in Tarantino's Django Unchained. I think the internet will go into meltdown the day he finally receives his Oscar.
Mainstream genres and Blockbuster movies:
This one is not about a performance, but bear with me. More mainstream genres and Blockbuster movies are constantly overlooked and for no discernable reason. It's okay to recognise and celebrate movies that are well directed, produced, acted and fall into the Blockbuster territory. How many deserving movies have gone unrecognised in an award sense? Hundreds. And this trend will probably continue for years to come. Plus it isn't just Blockbuster movies that seem to go unrewarded, but movies that fall into certain genres, the Science Fiction genre being one in particular that I can readily think of. Allow me to draw upon District 9 as an example, which was directed by Neill Blomkamp and released back in 2009. A great piece of direction from a new director, as well as containing a stellar performance by then newcomer Sharlto Copley. What happened to District 9? Received great reviews but largely went unrecognised saved for a few awards with regards to make-up and so on - awards that are generally associated with Science Fiction. IT'S OKAY TO EMBRACE THE MAINSTREAM BLOCKBUSTERS AND SCIENCE FICTION TYPES SOMETIMES, AWARDS PEOPLE. JEEZ.
Those are just a few to go on my personal list and I'll stop myself before I become consumed with my anger and disappointment and end up drinking at bar and crying because my favourites still go without their due recognition. If there were ever a list of reasons to build a time machine, going back and making sure these get more recognition for the efforts would be somewhere at top of mine.
What movies, actors, performances or directors do you think have gone without their due recognition? Please... I need more people to discuss and cry with me...
This one is not about a performance, but bear with me. More mainstream genres and Blockbuster movies are constantly overlooked and for no discernable reason. It's okay to recognise and celebrate movies that are well directed, produced, acted and fall into the Blockbuster territory. How many deserving movies have gone unrecognised in an award sense? Hundreds. And this trend will probably continue for years to come. Plus it isn't just Blockbuster movies that seem to go unrewarded, but movies that fall into certain genres, the Science Fiction genre being one in particular that I can readily think of. Allow me to draw upon District 9 as an example, which was directed by Neill Blomkamp and released back in 2009. A great piece of direction from a new director, as well as containing a stellar performance by then newcomer Sharlto Copley. What happened to District 9? Received great reviews but largely went unrecognised saved for a few awards with regards to make-up and so on - awards that are generally associated with Science Fiction. IT'S OKAY TO EMBRACE THE MAINSTREAM BLOCKBUSTERS AND SCIENCE FICTION TYPES SOMETIMES, AWARDS PEOPLE. JEEZ.
Those are just a few to go on my personal list and I'll stop myself before I become consumed with my anger and disappointment and end up drinking at bar and crying because my favourites still go without their due recognition. If there were ever a list of reasons to build a time machine, going back and making sure these get more recognition for the efforts would be somewhere at top of mine.
What movies, actors, performances or directors do you think have gone without their due recognition? Please... I need more people to discuss and cry with me...
What Do You Think?
What movies, actors, performances or directors do you think have gone without their due recognition?
Please...
I need more people to discuss and cry with me...
Please...
I need more people to discuss and cry with me...
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