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EDITORS: Olivia Garrett and Francesca Sylph
22 FEB 2021
Snubs and surprises
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Archie Lockyer assesses the extraordinary choices made by the Golden Globes this year
HE Golden Globe nominations were released last week to a mix of surprise and disdain. With such a peculiar year for traditional releases, the awards season was always going to be a bit off. Let’s be honest, no one particularly cares about the Golden Globes as a body; they don’t hold the prestige of the Emmy’s for Television, or the Oscars for film. But what they do often give us is an insight into the mindsets of the people voting this season and what they see as worthy and unworthy of acclaim. Straight off the bat, I have to acknowledge the pure ludicrousness of some of the choices in my opinion. Prior to the nominees being released, I joked about James Corden being nominated to my flatmates. I didn’t actually expect it to happen. Having him being nominated for his role in The Prom seems like some form of parody, his performance being tepid in the kindest reviews of the film.
For me I thought it was an utter nightmare to watch his frankly offensive caricature of a gay man. However, this nomination has been met with scathing amounts of criticism, so I think it’s fair to say that this is a horrendous mistake limited solely to the Golden Globes, rather than a reoccurring train crash throughout awards season. Amongst the savaging of James Corden, is also the backlash against the lack of recognition for Michaela Coel’s I May Destroy You, which is a very human look into the tough topics of sexual assault, race and gender within society. It honestly baffles me, the lack of recognition for this series, particularly due to it’s popularity within the US as well as the UK, with celebrities like Seth Rogan, among others, stating their love for the series throughout the year. In my opinion, I think this is because I May Destroy You covers a lot of hard topics, issues that we have to talk about more, but that make awards bodies uncomfortable Image: Declan
ant surprises with the inclusion and fear that this will “rock the of Nomadland and Promising boat” for audiences already Young Woman directed by tuning out of shows like Chloe Zhao and Emerald the Golden Globes. Fennell respectively, However, despite showing that the my negativity so far, Globes are taking a this year’s Golden more progressive step Globes do have some to inclusion. However, positives. we also saw traditional The Best Comedy “Oscarbaity” style films or Musical category is in The Trial of the Chicago particularly strong this Seven and The Father both of year, with the excellent Borat which are seen as frontrunners in Subsequent Moviefilm and Palm Image: Melinda Sue Gordon, IMDB the Oscars suggesting that voters Springs both receiving praise, haven’t entirely changed their tune. which otherwise might not be given as the This brings me back to my point earlier. Oscars famously do not reward the genre. I fear that after a year of never-ending COVHamilton also receiving a nomination is a ID-19 stress and Parasite storming through the pleasant surprise, alongside a nomination for Oscars last year, awards bodies will retreat into Lin Manuel Miranda for best actor. However, cinema that they find comfortable and enjoyI am unsure whether Hamilton can really be able; films with themes that are universally considered as a film, to me it feels slightly off positive, for instance Trial of the Chicago Seven since it is essentially a recording of the Broadwhich ends on an overly dramatic note about way performance. Perhaps the Golden Globes the need for compromise and respect. Instead wanted some recognisable brands instead of they could nominate and reward films that delving into the array of independent films choose to go less traditional directions such like Karen Maine’s Yes, God, Yes which certainly as Shaka King’s Judas and the Black Messiah or deserved more praise. Lee Issac Chung’s Minari. In terms of Best Drama, we saw a few pleas-
That only happens in films Quinn, IMDB
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Harry Scott Munro, Online Sports Editor, discusses the relationship between politics and film
H, Matt Hancock, he of meme fame. When the Health Secretary isn’t busy recreating scenes that wouldn’t look out of place in a disaster movie, he is, it seems, basing government policy off of them. Earlier this year, he admitted that the movie Contagion impacted upon his decision to stockpile vaccine doses for the United Kingdom. Hancock stated that the scenes in the movie where individuals squabble over the order of priority when it comes to vaccinations, largely influenced the decision making of himself and other ministers in ordering large batches of vaccines for the United Kingdom. His admission got me thinking though, which other politicians or policies are seemingly based upon beloved movies, whether the politicians care to admit it or not? Back in January, in one of his final acts in office, then-President Donald Trump unveiled his new “Space Force” as the sixth branch of the American military. Its logo though, seemed to take more than a little inspiration from the logo for Star Trek, with original Mr Sulu George Takei musing on Twitter as to when he and his fellow cast members would be receiving royalties
for use of the design. Wearing a Republican red tie seemingly wasn’t enough for the now former President, who instead wanted to wear captain’s red on the bridge of the Enterprise. Whether Trump truly had aspirations of wearing the famous red shirt remains to be seen, however should he run for office again, it may not be long before we see him doing a Vulcan salute to the crowds.
THE BIG SCREEN WILL ALWAYS SHAPE NARRATIVES In slightly less comedic circumstances, 2004’s The Day After Tomorrow has shaped a large part of the climate debate that continues to run today. The disaster movie sees the world facing a second ice age, with a tidal wave submerging New York and tornadoes tearing through Los Angeles. The film has had long lasting effects on how individuals and politicians view the risk of climate change, thrusting it to the forefront of public concern. Some politicians on the Republican side were alarmed
by the public’s reaction to the risks the movie suggested. They envisaged a scenario where the American public forced Congress to pass climate change legislation, with Republican President George W. Bush vetoing the bill and Democratic candidate John Kerry exploiting public hysteria over the issue to win the U.S. Presidential election. Of course, none of this happened and Bush went on to secure a second term with a greater share of the electoral college than when he was first elected in 2000. However, surveys carried
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out of those who watched and didn’t watch the movie, suggested that those who had watched would be more likely to vote for Kerry than Bush. The big screen will always shape narratives and with more and more actors moving from the big screen to the political sphere, we could be looking at even more movies influencing policy in the years to come. Let’s just pray none of them base their policy decisions off of Mad Max. Images left to right: Number 10, flickr; Joe Klamar, IMDB
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OU may know Jacqueline Durran for her BAFTA-winning costume design for 2005’s Pride and Prejudice. Or her work for Mary Magdalene, Anna Karenina, Beauty and the Beast, or Peterloo. Either way, Jacqueline Durran’s costume designing talents have graced many brilliant and beautiful films. She has designed the costumes of four Best Picture Oscar nominees: Atonement, Darkest Hour, 1917 and Little Women. What particularly springs to mind for me is her Oscar-winning work on Greta Gerwig’s Little Women. Each character is given a signature colour, which carries through in their luscious period costumes, creating a beautiful visual reminder of their personalities. After completing a degree in Philosophy and a Masters in History of Costume Design at the Royal College of Art, she learnt on the job at a costume rental house and had her own market stall selling vintage clothes in Camden and Portobello Road. However, she never thought it was going to be a career until she had her first costume designing job on Mike Leigh’s All or Nothing. Years later, with Caitlin Barr 11 awards under her belt, it’s clear that her work is incredibly special.