The nominations for the 2018 Academy Awards have been announced, and to be quite honest, I am a little disappointed in some of the lists. Overall, the Academy Awards, also commonly referred to as the Oscars, are supposed to cover the broad umbrella of movie masterpieces from the given year. Yes, there are overlaps in nominations throughout the categories; however, this year there are tons.The worst part is, they left out some pretty awesome movies.
One movie in particular, is "Beauty and the Beast."
The remake of the original 1991 Disney film, came out in March 2017. It was a greatly anticipated film and received copious amounts of exceptional reviews and ratings. Yet, somehow, it only got nominated for two awards; two that tend to go unnoticed, or seem less significant than others. It is in the running for best costume design and best production design. Don't get me wrong — the costumes from this film were exact replicas of the original and had intricate detail, and the emphasis on the production design was outstanding. However, I believe this film deserves at least the nominations of more awards, such as actress in a leading role (Emma Watson), or film editing (because this movie was just so. well. done. and appealing to the eye). I was in awe while watching some of the scenes, and wondered how they mastered them so perfectly.
In comparison to the pool of movies for 2017, "Beauty and the Beast" was definitely one of the largest ones. While looking over the nominations, I was shocked to discover that a few of the films I had never even heard of. Aren't the nominations supposed to be movies that took over the box offices and ones that every individual has at least heard of? Leading up to its release date, Beauty and the Beast received plenty of hype making it one of the most anticipated remakes of Disney history. I remember seeing trailers for it in 2016 and being so upset that I had to wait an entire year just to see it. When it finally came to theaters in March 2017, the box offices were roaring.
Emma Watson deserves all the recognition in the world for her success in the lead role of Belle, leading me to believe she deserves the nomination for best actress. She looked the part, acted the part, and even sang the part. Whoever cast this movie hit the nail right on the head with that one.
The film editing and cinematography were also done very well: two potential awards I think it should have been in the cards for. You can tell the design team put their time and effort into each scene, each building, and each set. All the scenes were a surprise to the eye, but in a good way. From the detail on the beast's appearance, to the design of the castle, each prop was a close resemblance, if not replica, of the original.
Overall, this movie was a masterpiece. The accuracy of the plot to the original film, the brilliant cast, the special effects and set designs, as well as the revival of the original soundtrack, brought this movie to life, and I do not think there is one thing they could have done better. It was a big project, considering they had to match it up to the animated version almost perfectly. However, it was done, and it was done very well. Unfortunately, the gods of the Academy Awards didn't see it that way, but "Beauty and the Beast" will always have an Oscar in my eyes.
