This is the last post of this series, and boy do I have some opinions about the 2010s at the Oscars. Some of these winners do not look good in retrospect. From greatest to least great, here we go.
Parasite (2019) - Our first foreign language Best Picture winner, and the undisputed best picture of that year. Bong Joon-Ho's satirical thriller about two families of different social classes is so unexpected and so obviously not your average Oscar prestige pic that it's stunning that it pulled off the win. However, after so many lackluster winners in recent years, I think the Oscars needed "Parasite" more than "Parasite" needed the Oscars. It was a fun season, though with director Bong and his translator both becoming media darlings.
Spotlight (2015) - I have a bias towards Tom McCarthy films, because they exist on a wavelength that just works for me, no matter what the subject matter. Mostly, however, I just appreciate that "Spotlight" is a solid, well-made procedural about a serious topic. The investigation unfolds in a realistic way, and there's fairly little over-the-top melodrama, with the exception of one Mark Ruffalo speech, which almost feels like a concession to its marketing team. 2015 had several good contenders, and I was also rooting for "Brooklyn" and "Mad Max: Fury Road."
Moonlight (2016) - Ah, the flub. There was so much fuss about the mistake with "La La Land" that it overshadowed a wonderful win by a small film over a large one, a deeply personal, intimate film about identity over the kind of nostalgic spectacle that the Academy usually rewards. I would have picked "Manchester by the Sea," but "Moonlight" is very deserving. I love that it also helped launch Barry Jenkins into the spotlight, who has been making a ton of great content for both the big and small screens, much like the director of the next film on this list.
12 Years a Slave (2013) - This is a very hard film to watch, but it has my absolute respect. Everything I've ever seen from Steve McQueen has been fantastic, and his direction here is impeccable. The only downside is that "12 Years a Slave" inspired so many lesser imitators who didn't understand the difference between brutality and violence. This was the obvious Best Picture choice and there wasn't much competition that year, except for maybe "The Wolf of Wall Street."
Birdman (Or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance ) (2014) - I'm baffled at how this won over "The Grand Budapest Hotel," or even solid contenders like "Whiplash" and "Selma." Then again, I'm also still a little boggled that this is an Iñárritu film, a wild departure from form after four down-to-earth social dramas. "Birdman" is an interesting film with a slew of good performances, but gimmicky and kind of a mess. I do love one moment, however - the drummer reveal is priceless.
The King's Speech (2010) - I was rooting for "The Social Network" and "Inception." I have no particular grudge against "The King's Speech," except that it empowered Tom Hooper to make some truly terrible movies later on. Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush are great fun, and Helena Bonham Carter habitually steals scenes from both of them. It's just such an unadventurous pick in a year that had a lot of good choices. 2010 was a rare year where any nominee could have won.
The Artist (2011) - Perhaps no Best Picture winner disappeared from sight faster than "The Artist." I like the film, but I don't think it works outside of a theatrical setting, and is pretty inaccessible to the average moviegoer. Still, I understand why it won - it's a French love letter to the early days of Hollywood, and pulls off a really risky proposition - making a silent film! A sincere, no-joke silent film in 2011! "The Tree of Life" was my pick to win, but it never would have happened.
The Shape of Water (2017) - I consider myself a Guillermo Del Toro fan, but "The Shape of Water" is not one of his better efforts. The central idea of a deaf woman falling in love with The Creature From the Black Lagoon's sexy cousin is lovely. The clumsy potshots at Cold War America and toxic masculinity don't work half as well, no matter how much scenery Michael Shannon chews. And there were so many better nominees, like "Get Out," "Lady Bird," and "Phantom Thread."
Green Book (2018) - I think I actually like this movie better than most, particularly the performance of Mahershala Ali as Don Shirley. However, it's embarrassing that a pretty tone deaf film about American race relations like "Green Book" won Best Picture in 2018, especially against the much more timely "BlacKkKlansman." And we all know that "Roma" should have won, and probably would have won if the Academy and Netflix weren't on such bad terms.
Argo (2012) - Finally, I will concede that "Argo" is an entertaining film. However, it embodies so many of the worst attitudes and impulses of Hollywood in adapting real world events into films. The script is riddled with inaccuracies and obvious invented complications to make the story more interesting. And there is no way in hell that director Ben Affleck would get away with playing a character of Mexican descent today. I'd have given the statuette to "Life of Pi."
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