Florence Pugh (center) in "Midsommar". - A24

  • The list of nominations for the 2020 Oscars was revealed on Monday. The trophies will be awarded on February 10 in Los Angeles.
  • Apart from the six nominations granted to the South Korean film “Parasite”, including best film and best director, there is not really any big surprise in this list.
  • However, the absence of several films is to be deplored. “Ad Astra”, “Us” and even “Midsommar”, despite their qualities, did not win any nomination.

Joker , Once Upon A Time… in Hollywood , The Irishman … The list of nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards announced on Monday is not very surprising. The most publicized American films in 2019 take the lion's share and the only real good surprise lies in the six nominations of Parasite . The prospect of seeing Bong Joon-ho's South Korean film triumph over the noses and beards of Hollywood stars the evening of the ceremony, on February 9, is very encouraging. Alas, as every year, many "oversights" are to be deplored. Like Cats , for example, (not there, we laugh). Review of the main snubbers.

  • "Portrait of the girl on fire"

Even if it means being accused of chauvinism, we must admit that we secretly hoped for a nice surprise for Portrait of the young girl on fire . Discarded from the race for the Oscar for best international film under the French banner for the benefit of Les Misérables by Ladj Ly - who will try to compete for the statuette at Parasite - the feature film by Céline Sciamma has been very noticed in the film galaxy of across the Atlantic where he was praised.

If the prospect of seeing the actresses Adèle Haenel and Noémie Merlant named seemed completely crazy - especially with regard to the competition in this category -, imagining the director of photography Claire Mathon named in "best photo" was nothing out of the ordinary. Our tri-color pride, however, has no reason to wince. Les Misérables (international film), I lost my body (animated feature film) and the short films Mémorable and Nefta Football Club will be there to represent French cinema. The composer Alexandre Desplats will be in the running for the original music for the Daughters of Doctor March . This is his tenth Oscar nomination since its very first in 2007 - it was awarded in 2015 and 2018.

  • "Midsommar"

The years go by and, alas, look the same for Ari Aster. In 2018, Heredity , his first film caused a sensation with its unexpected plot full of twists and turns. This daring proposal awakened a genre cinema accustomed to repeating the same worn-out codes, but it had not won any nomination for the 2019 Oscars. This year, once again with Midsommar , which made the public shiver. Was spent with his script plunging a bunch of American students into a Swedish community with a funny way to celebrate the June solstice.

This feature film, between a bad trip and the joyful unzipping of the toxic aspects of masculinity, would have had its place in the race for the Oscar for the best original screenplay. Seeing Florence Pugh named Oscar for Best Actress would have seemed obvious. The actress can still hope to win a statuette in February: she is in the running for the Oscar for best actress in a supporting role for her performance in Meg in The girls of doctor March .

  • "Us"

The years go by and, alas, are not alike for Jordan Peele. Two years ago, his first feature, Get Out , won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay and was named in the Best Director, Best Film and Best Actor (Daniel Kaluuya) categories. This satire denouncing ordinary racism through a black hero visiting for the first time in his white in-laws had hit home with voters.

Us , Jordan Peele's second film, has been completely "forgotten" by the Academy Awards this year. This story of a nightmarish family weekend on the California coast was perhaps too complex. However, Lupita Nyong'o, would have deserved to have a chance among the best actresses.

  • "Ad Astra"

"No one is a prophet in his country," says the adage. James Gray is living proof. Since his first feature film, The Yards , in 2005, the American filmmaker can count his Oscar nominations on the fingers of a fingerless hand. Among his best films are The Night Belongs to Us , Two Lovers or The Lost City of Z … but all have been conscientiously snubbed by the Academy of Oscars. "His career, slow and full of obstacles, aligns the refusals to comply with the dictates of the entertainment industry made in Hollywood, which persists in not understanding its uniqueness," wrote Jean-Samuel Kiegk in 2017 an article for Rockyrama entitled "James Gray or permanent incomprehension"…

The phenomenon is repeated this year with Ad Astra , released this fall. Or the story of an astronaut (Brad Pitt) who takes advantage of a space mission to try to find his father. The film could perfectly well have claimed several nominations, particularly in the so-called "technical" categories (visual effects, sound mixing, design production, etc.). It is time for American cinema to start to realize that James Gray is one of its best representatives.

  • And for a few more oversights ...

"Congratulations gentlemen," slipped actress Issa Rae after announcing the names of the five filmmakers vying for the Oscar for best director. A compliment that could also be heard with irony: no director is on the shortlist this year. However, Greta Gerwig, for example, would have had its place there perfectly her adaptation of the Daughters of Doctor March - who also has five nominations. Lulu Wang could have appeared there as an outsider with Adieu - The Farewell . This last feature is not in the running for any trophy when one would have expected that Awkwafina, winner of a Golden Globe for this film, will be retained in the race.

Little disappointment also for The Lighthouse which won a deserved nomination in the best photography category but no more. It is still a miracle that Robert Eggers' film was not put aside as its quasi-experimental bill appears divisive. Nor should we be too greedy while hoping that the impressive work of actor Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe would be distinguished by an appointment.

Cinema

The full list of nominations for the 2020 Oscars

Culture

HBO negotiates the mini-series adaptation of the film “Parasite”

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