Re: Best Cinematography 2013
Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2018 9:21 pm
12 Years a Slave is one of the more inexplicable omissions in this category in recent years, given all it had going for it -- Best Picture winner, beautiful exterior landscapes, innovative/iconic shots (the hanging, the soap sequence). I'd have easily nominated it. I also like the lovingly shot futuristic cityscapes of Her.
Prisoners feels like the kind of nominee that would make total sense as place-filler in a weak year -- the film's gloomy snowscapes create quite a strong sense of dread throughout the movie, and I remember many of us thinking it could be a cinematography contender when we saw it early that fall. Of course, this WASN'T a weak year for this category, so its nomination seems on the generous side, even if it isn't any kind of embarrassment.
Nebraska is Alexander Payne's most visually impressive film, and a great deal of credit for that should go to the cinematography, which makes the natural landscapes and dying towns of the Midwest a crucial visual backdrop for the film's action. I would still say that, like most Payne films, Nebraska's strengths are more in the writing/acting departments, but this is a solid nominee here.
Somehow, The Grandmaster wasn't on my radar at all until well into awards season, and I didn't see it until after the nominations on DVD. I wish I'd seen it on the big screen, because I found it a gorgeous and dynamically shot action effort, with the fight in the rain a clear visual standout. I think the remaining nominees are in service of more fully successful creative works, but I was happy to see a Wong Kar-Wai film FINALLY receive recognition in this category.
Although I've often loved Roger Deakins's work for the Coens, it's always nice to see filmmakers work with new collaborators, and Bruno Delbonnel's contribution to Inside Llewyn Davis gives the movie a pleasingly fresh look. The chilly, faded images provide such a melancholic counterpoint to the Coens' oddball sense of humor, and I too would cite the shot of Isaac in the fog as one of the more memorable of the year. I haven't yet "voted" for Delbonnel, but he's done a lot of strong work over the years, and I hope I'll be able to root for him some time in the future.
For me, Gravity was easily the year's most impressive visual triumph. As with Scorsese/The Departed, it felt like it HAD to finally be Lubezki's time, only we'd been let down so many times before to feel certain about it. But I thought this was a great win not merely based on overdue points -- while full of stunning images, what really sticks with me about Gravity is the emotional pull the visuals carry. Shots like Clooney floating off into space, or Bullock hanging on to the edge of a spaceship as debris swirls around her, are full of such overwhelming power, and serve as way more than moments to show off technical brio (though they certainly do that too). The clear choice, even in a worthy field.
Prisoners feels like the kind of nominee that would make total sense as place-filler in a weak year -- the film's gloomy snowscapes create quite a strong sense of dread throughout the movie, and I remember many of us thinking it could be a cinematography contender when we saw it early that fall. Of course, this WASN'T a weak year for this category, so its nomination seems on the generous side, even if it isn't any kind of embarrassment.
Nebraska is Alexander Payne's most visually impressive film, and a great deal of credit for that should go to the cinematography, which makes the natural landscapes and dying towns of the Midwest a crucial visual backdrop for the film's action. I would still say that, like most Payne films, Nebraska's strengths are more in the writing/acting departments, but this is a solid nominee here.
Somehow, The Grandmaster wasn't on my radar at all until well into awards season, and I didn't see it until after the nominations on DVD. I wish I'd seen it on the big screen, because I found it a gorgeous and dynamically shot action effort, with the fight in the rain a clear visual standout. I think the remaining nominees are in service of more fully successful creative works, but I was happy to see a Wong Kar-Wai film FINALLY receive recognition in this category.
Although I've often loved Roger Deakins's work for the Coens, it's always nice to see filmmakers work with new collaborators, and Bruno Delbonnel's contribution to Inside Llewyn Davis gives the movie a pleasingly fresh look. The chilly, faded images provide such a melancholic counterpoint to the Coens' oddball sense of humor, and I too would cite the shot of Isaac in the fog as one of the more memorable of the year. I haven't yet "voted" for Delbonnel, but he's done a lot of strong work over the years, and I hope I'll be able to root for him some time in the future.
For me, Gravity was easily the year's most impressive visual triumph. As with Scorsese/The Departed, it felt like it HAD to finally be Lubezki's time, only we'd been let down so many times before to feel certain about it. But I thought this was a great win not merely based on overdue points -- while full of stunning images, what really sticks with me about Gravity is the emotional pull the visuals carry. Shots like Clooney floating off into space, or Bullock hanging on to the edge of a spaceship as debris swirls around her, are full of such overwhelming power, and serve as way more than moments to show off technical brio (though they certainly do that too). The clear choice, even in a worthy field.