The Academy Awards have been having a rough year. There hasn't been a single nomination given to a black actor in all four categories, and for some reason, it surprised people.
Racists complain that it's because there were no quality performances from black actors this year and that affirmative action should not be placed on the Oscars just for the sake of nominating nonwhite people. Weirdly, they're right insofar as there weren't many great nonwhite performances in 2015. But that's because the industry isn't financing enough nonwhite productions. #OscarsSoWhite is not so much purposeful discrimination as it is the inevitable outcome of the present state of the film industry. So shut up, you dumb racist pricks. Everyone else, stop trying to cure the disease by curing its symptoms and instead go after its causes.
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I find it more interesting that no one talks about how virtually every nomination is American. You know, there's a lot of cinema in the world. I still think American cinema is the best on average, but the Koreans know how to make damn good movies too. As do the Romanians, the South Africans, the Australians, and the rest of the goddamn world that's whittled down to five (five!) nominees for Best Foreign Language film. How is 88 years of basically ignoring the rest of the world any less racist than not nominating a nonwhite person for acting?
But if I had my druthers, there would be no competition for art like the Oscars, especially judged by a committee that's 42 percent actors, producers, executives, and agents who aren't even required to watch the films in the first place (that's true, look it up) and are more likely voting toward nominees that can benefit them financially (thanks, capitalism). Most importantly, there's nothing quantifiable about cinema. It's a movie, not a foot race. I understand the desire to be commended by your peers, but why does there need to be competition? Can't there just be multiple awards? But oh no, the human psyche loves competition so much, and Americans care more about whether or not Leo wins the Oscar than if powerful men in nice offices are robbing them blind every day. The media wants you to care more about Will Smith and his lack of a nomination than about gang deaths in Chicago.
Not that the Oscars are all evil. There are plenty of movies I love that have been nominated for and have won Oscars. The Best Picture win for "Twelve Years a Slave" definitely convinced more people to watch the film, and I'm happy for it. I just am so disheartened by the idea that an Oscar is a filmmaker's only true indicator of success and relevance, an idea which a friend related to me in earnestness and that, I assume, reflects the opinion of the general populace. And that surprises me a lot considering the public's disapproval of the Academy's consistent valuing of flashy "suffering" (cough, Leo in "The Revenant") over authentic craftsmanship (cough, Leo in "The Wolf of Wall Street," Leo in "Django Unchained," Leo in "Inception," Leo in "Shutter Island," Leo in "Revolutionary Road," Leo in "Blood Diamond," Leo in "The Departed," Leo in "Catch Me If You Can," Leo in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?").
So instead of watching the Oscars, please please please please please watch any of these films instead. All of the films have not been nominated for a single Academy Award in any category, and I love them. I've started with a top 10 because everyone likes lists. The rest are also amazing. And all of them are streaming on Netflix.
10. "The Immigrant"
Tied for my favorite film of 2014 with "Interstellar" (on Netflix, but it was nominated for technical awards), the film is nearly perfect on every level. Cotillard's performance is on par with the greatest in cinema history.
9. "We Need to Talk About Kevin"
A film that physically nauseated me in theaters. In a good way.
8. "The Thin Blue Line"
One of the more infamously non-nominated documentaries, Errol Morris's documentary got a man off of death row. It also introduced cinematic recreations of murder scenes (that's why it was disqualified) into documentaries and features a fantastic Philip Glass score.
7. "Oldboy" (the Korean one)
Yeah, it's pretty fucked up. You should see it.
6. "Beyond the Hills"
This Romanian film was tied for my favorite of 2013 along with "The Place Beyond the Pines" (which was also not nominated for a single Oscar). It's an exorcism drama based on a true story that's more horrifying than any intentional horror could even try being.
5. "Eyes Wide Shut"
I agree with Bill Hader on this film being one of the greatest comedies of all time. After all, it features Tom Cruise trying so hard to get laid and failing to the point that when he goes to an orgy, he almost gets murdered.
4. "The Naked Gun"
Comedies tend not to be rewarded for anything. It doesn't make sense. This film is so funny you get embarrassed for laughing at it.
3. "Punch-Drunk Love"
The ultimate anti-Adam Sandler movie is a strange and beautiful love story and way funnier than anything Sandler has done.
2. "Melancholia"
Lars Von Trier's greatest film is also the greatest film ever made about depression. Its lack of Oscar nominations is what made me refuse to watch the 2012 Oscars (which also snubbed "Shame," "Take Shelter," "Drive," "The Tree of Life," and "Hugo" in major ways), and I haven't watched a ceremony since.
1. "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"
I know what you're thinking. "Oh, it's just a fun, silly comedy." Oh wait, do we go to the movies to get bored? This film is a perfectly constructed classic that's funny, touching, well-directed, smartly written, and fantastically acted. It's a fucking work of art.
Honorable mention: "Simon Killer"
I know it's a deeply flawed film, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't cater to all of my personal tastes. I just love this film, but I'm not surprised it wasn't nominated for any Oscars like I do the other films. This movie was made with nothing, and in order to get nominated for Oscars, you need to use publicity money for campaigning. Just the way the world works, unfortunately. I look forward to Campos' next film.
The rest of these are also really, really good and great films. You may have heard of them. All are on Netflix. None of them have a single Oscar nomination.
"Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" (Sam Rockwell is the man)
"The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover" (the production design and the score are bliss)
"The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951, apologies to Keanu)
"The Killer" (Hong Kong crime action movie, need I say more?)
"Lord of War" (a good Nicolas Cage movie ... haven't seen one of those in a while)
"13 Assassins" (badass Samurai movie with incredibly designed sequences)
"The Hunter" (a little slow, but Willem Dafoe and the cinematography are cool)
"The Double" ("Eraserhead" meets "Brazil")
"Team America: World Police" ("South Park" meets puppets)
"Frank" (Fassbender is life)
"Hamlet" (the one with Bill Murray as Polonius)
"Bernie" (one of Linklater's best, and I love Jack Black and Matthew McConaughey in it)
"Greenberg" (most realistic movie about depression)
"The One I Love" (don't look anything up about it)
"Clerks" (the one that started the no-budget movement in the '90s)
"Wayne's World" (this movie is perfection)
"The American" (super cool assassin movie, old school and European)
"The Babadook" (very effective Australian horror film)
"Filth" (worth it for McAvoy)
"Hot Fuzz" (masterfully directed action comedy)
"Pee-wee's Big Adventure" (c'mon, you gotta rewatch this)
"Jerry and Tom" (very well-acted)
"Swingers" (so money)
"Life Itself" (Ebert meant a lot to me, and this doc is good for people who don't know him)
"Bronson" (Tom Hardy ... just Tom Hardy)
"Antichrist" (terrifying AF)
"Nymphomaniac" (Vol. 1 is hilarious, Vol. 2 is more serious but loses its way)
"Russian Ark" (all shot in one take ... but unlike "Birdman," it was real)
"Beasts of No Nation" (famously snubbed but intense film)
