Categories One-by-One: Costume Design

[Damien]

Yes, but the problem I have with this is that there's too much recent memory to pull from, thereby, the designer has more recollection than actual research to work with than someone who had to recreate a restoration period. The reason movies like The Duchess get nominated is for two reasons: one, because the costumes do, in some way, have to match the characters' personalities and financial places in the world and have to have more than just one or two costume changes between scenes and two, they have to do extensive research to make sure the material, design and final look match the time period and don't have anything out of place.

I think that it's much more difficult to be accurate in recent period pictures than movies set in Elizabethan or Victorian times. If someone is wearing an outfit that was all the rage in 1650 even though the movie is set in 1640, who's gonna be any the wiser? But the look of 1979 was much different than 1974, and those of us who lived then know it, so much more attention has to be paid to costumes so as not to come across as anachronistic. The majority of straight guys in the era of Milk wore leisure suits -- no one in the movie does. Score one for accuracy.

[Hollywood Z]

That being said, here are my feelings on the nominees:

5. Milk - This movie is out. Plain and simple, the nomination here shows that the movie has a lot of respect and they like that the 1970s community was captured the way it was. But a movie isn't going to win best costume design when the costumes can be referenced from a consignment store rack.

4. Australia - The once shoe-in for at least 13 nominations (before the reviews came out and before the box office disaster) has everything a costume flick could love: expansive time period covered, different setting, different cultures. But it's absense from the Costume Designer's guild nominations show that there aren't enough followers for this film that will spread the love the way that Marie Antoinette and Elizabeth: The Golden Age did (that's being reserved for The Duchess). Besides, Catherine Martin has already won here once before, for the much more supported Moulin Rouge

3. Revolutionary Road - The 50s is generally a hit or miss era for this category. It can be praised like Peggy Sue Got Married and Ray, or it can be shunned like Back to the Future and Grease, the latter two having more elaborate costumes than Revolutionary Road did. Another factor going against it will be the reception the movie had with people and the fact that Albert Wolsky already has two previous wins for All That Jazz and Bugsy.

2. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - If anything could sneak in and win, it would be this film that encompassed 50 years of American history in costumes, not to mention the possibility of it pulling an Aviator and being hailed in the technical categories (since Slumdog is "written" to win all of the other top awards). Even if the movie wins here, the chances of it winning Best Picture wouldn't increase, it could just be seen as a way to match the small sweep Slumdog would have.

1. The Duchess - The voters in this category have lately been going for the best designs and even those who have only seen the trailer for The Duchess know that it has the most elaborate. The Duchess is the type of film that costume designers love to award and it shouldn't change here. Unless Button is poised to pull a technical category sweep (Make-Up, Costumes, Sets & Score), then look for this film to win. But don't count out Button.

[Hollywood Z]

Can I be honest? I'm sick of Best Costume Design being equated to Best Corset. I haven't seen The Duchess and I'm sure the costumes, as expected, are fantastically intricate and as powerful as you all have intimated, however wouldn't you say that the costume construction and coordination of a Benjamin Button and even a Milk were just as daunting tasks, pulled off with just as much success? I'll most likely be rooting for Milk whose costumes contributed the most to the overall evocation of a very certain time in the near past.

Yes, but the problem I have with this is that there's too much recent memory to pull from, thereby, the designer has more recollection than actual research to work with than someone who had to recreate a restoration period. The reason movies like The Duchess get nominated is for two reasons: one, because the costumes do, in some way, have to match the characters' personalities and financial places in the world and have to have more than just one or two costume changes between scenes and two, they have to do extensive research to make sure the material, design and final look match the time period and don't have anything out of place. Sure, it's not fair that Costume Design tends to go to most elaborate costume design, but the people are doing their fair share of work, if not more. That's why, I think subconsciously, the costumes catch peoples' eyes so much is that they can recognize how much work would go into it.

Don't get me wrong, I love Milk, it's my choice for Best Picture this year, but I'm not going to jump on some elitist snob bandwagon about how it should win because it's an odd and relatable choice. In fact, I think it's nomination is a bit of a surprise, considering that there were other films like Changeling, which both perfectly captured an era, the characters' emotions and place in the story. Milk's costumes, while I do realize that there was some work put behind it, was little more to me that cut off shorts, vintage T shirts and 70s suits. By that rationale, That 70s Show should have always won best costume design when it came emmy time. People in other eras wore clothing differently than we did. Just because a movie happened to require more work, which is evident on the screen, is no reason to discredit it for how much work was put into it.

[Damien]

I don't see anything but Batman winning Visual Effects. And I also don't see anything but Benny Button winning Make Up -- I mean. make up was the whole point of the picture.

But then again, I'm usually more wrong than right with these categories . . .

But getting back on topic, neither Marie Antoinette nor Elizabeth2 did any box office but the sheer costumeness of them took home Oscars. And so it shall be with The Duchess.



Edited By Damien on 1233769773

[Sabin]

There is only one category that I am positive The Curious Case of Benjamin Button will win...Best Visual Effects.

It has a decent chance for Best Makeup but what is it nominated for? Aging makeup which was by far the least-regarded portion of the film. Although as I read Slant's write-up, I realize much to my surprise (thanks, guys) that middle-aged Brad Pitt was the product of makeup effect and not visual effects. Hellboy 2 and The Dark Knight have a shot. It has a good chance of winning for Best Art Direction but I can envision a scenario in which Benjamin Button only wins for Best Visual Effects. Really it could wind up being one of the big Oscar losers in history.

[The Original BJ]

The Aviator was a worthy enough winner here, but it likely sailed to an easy victory based on its competition. Had more opulent costume fare been slated (say, Vanity Fair or The Phantom of the Opera), it might have been a tighter race. As Magilla says, there was no "Duchess" on that year's ballot.

As I alluded to in another thread, it's hard to get a reading on Benjamin Button from these nominations. It's the kind of movie that gets nominated in a lot of categories no matter what. If its liked, it could easily win a slew of techs - Art Direction, Costume, Makeup, Cinematography, and Visual Effects. But, it also could lose most of those categories too.



Edited By The Original BJ on 1233715938

[Big Magilla]

Can I be honest? I'm sick of Best Costume Design being equated to Best Corset. I haven't seen The Duchess and I'm sure the costumes, as expected, are fantastically intricate and as powerful as you all have intimated, however wouldn't you say that the costume construction and coordination of a Benjamin Button and even a Milk were just as daunting tasks, pulled off with just as much success? I'll most likely be rooting for Milk whose costumes contributed the most to the overall evocation of a very certain time in the near past.

Yes, but those kinds of films never win.

Bonnie and Clyde which not only represented an era but started a brand new style of its own lost to Camelot and Annie Hall, which also had a huge impact on fashion wasn't even nominated the year Star Wars won.

[Okri]

I dunno - Kiera Knightley has cleavage for like the first time ever in The Duchess, and that's an engineering achievement all on it's own.

More seriously, I think it's between Button and Duchess, with the latter taking it for being the flashier of the two (I haven't seen it, to be fair).

[Sabin]

I haven't seen The Duchess yet but I really want Milk to win this. I was perusing down wikipedia for an Oscar win that would give this win precedence but I got bored and stopped.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button looks great in the same way that a Chanel Ad looks great, but it's largely rooted in homage. It's a handsome movie and handsome movies almost never win in this category. The past two Oscar victories seem to pave the way for another Most Opulent Achievement in Costume Design Winner so that seems like The Duchess. I think Benjamin Button and Revolutionary Road could split the handsome votes and because Milk is apparently not allowed to win, that puts it between Australia and The Duchess, two movies I never really wanted to see.

[rolotomasi99]

one of the best costume nominations in the past ten years was sandy powell for VELVET GOLDMINE. very inventive costume designs still informed by a certain era. i want to see more work like that nominated.



Edited By rolotomasi99 on 1233691281

[flipp525]

Can I be honest? I'm sick of Best Costume Design being equated to Best Corset. I haven't seen The Duchess and I'm sure the costumes, as expected, are fantastically intricate and as powerful as you all have intimated, however wouldn't you say that the costume construction and coordination of a Benjamin Button and even a Milk were just as daunting tasks, pulled off with just as much success? I'll most likely be rooting for Milk whose costumes contributed the most to the overall evocation of a very certain time in the near past.



Edited By flipp525 on 1233691092

[rolotomasi99]

i was shocked THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL was snubbed. horrible movie, but some pretty amazing costumes. they are the only costumes this year that matched the quality of THE DUCHESS. wonder who sandy powell pissed off to be left of the list this year.

[dws1982]

It may well come down to an overall feeling on Button. Is it, Yeah, we gave it 13 nominations, but only because we had to put something in those slots, and we don't care if it wins anything; or, Okay, we're giving Slumdog best picture because it's the one we like best, but that doesn't mean we HATE Benjamin Button -- we're going to give it a few consolation prizes.

Right now The Fellowship of the Ring holds the record for fewest wins out of 13 nominations, with 4. I think there's a good chance this year that Benjamin Button may end up either sharing the record, or holding the record by itself.

[Big Magilla]

Magilla, only Milk winning this award would mean positive things for its Best Picture chances. Benjamin Button is already a strong contender, and like The Aviator, may win this category for being one of the biggest costume pieces of the year.

The difference is that there was no Duchess in the running against The Aviator. The competition consisted of Finding Neverland, Troy, Lemony Snicket and Ray. Among them, the dazzling costumes in The Aviator [i[were[/i] the most spectacular. For them to override the year's most dazzling dresses and hats with something else would be a clear indication that that film was very much liked by AMPAS as a whole. Would it mean it could pull an upset over Slumdog for best picture? Probably not, but it might provide a little suspense along the way.

[Mister Tee]

Like others, I'm stymied from creating these posts by the movies I haven't seen -- specifically, Benjamin Button, which alone locks me out of damn near everything, this category included.

I will say that, though my reaction to The Duchess when I saw it a few weeks ago matches everyone else's ("Damn -- what costumes!"), and though the film's profile is nearly identical to the last two winners in the category (ornate royal costumes, low-grossing film, little other Oscar recognition), we may want to allow for the possibility that the results of the very recent past don't represent a permanent trend. Again, I haven't seen Button, but I'm guessing the range it covers might make it comparable to The Aviator or Bugsy -- best picture nominees whose costumes weren't knockouts but which took the prize in tribute to their film's overall achievement.

It may well come down to an overall feeling on Button. Is it, Yeah, we gave it 13 nominations, but only because we had to put something in those slots, and we don't care if it wins anything; or, Okay, we're giving Slumdog best picture because it's the one we like best, but that doesn't mean we HATE Benjamin Button -- we're going to give it a few consolation prizes.