Here's an undisputed fact: The studio and independent system is white-male dominated, all of this hoopla that a bunch of black and female filmmakers deserve their fair share of 2018 awards is quite simply overreaching and a form of virtue signaling on the part of film critics. The odds are heavily stacked for white male directors making the best films of the year. Rome wasn't built in a day.
It'll take time for the industry to catch up to a coherent and lasting form of inclusive filmmaking. Despite all that, count me as disappointed that Debra Granik, Jennifer Fox, Chloe Zhao and Lynne Ramsay weren’t nominated, since they made great films this past year.
With #OscarsSoMale becoming a trending topic on Twitter today, and the boss of Women and Hollywood, Melissa Silverstein tweeting “I am always glad that days like this afford us to have a conversation about the lack of women getting nominated for big awards. Remember this is not about whether a film is good, cause Ahem — Green Book, Bohemian Rhapsody, Vice — but it’s about access and opportunity.”
Silverstein slamming others she thought didn’t deserve to be nominated strikes me as pitiful rather than insightful. I liked all three of the movies she mentioned.
She continued, “This is not about merit because Ahem- Debra Granik hasn’t been nominated for best director and that is just as tragic as Spike Lee not getting nominated which has been rectified this year. She makes extraordinary films. There would be no Jennifer Lawrence without Debra Granik. Both of the primary actors in Marielle Heller’s [‘Can You Ever Forgive Me?’] are nominated, yet she is not. Chloe Zhao’s The Rider is spectacular and we will see her pain on a bigger canvas with her Marvel film. Lynne Ramsay was in directing jail, yet was able to make [‘You Were Never Really Here’] which has not one word of extra dialogue.”
“What women directors are able to accomplish of [sic] the shit money they get. Bradley Cooper got about $40 million for his 1st movie- and it’s great- but let’s remember that his film gets to the finish line ahead of some others because of the investment that is made in the campaign,” she tweeted. “I know it’s hard for people who are not living in the weeds and don’t see women’s names as directors all the time to believe that women make movies that should be nominated year in and year out. But they do. So let’s use today as a learning experience. Let’s share our favorite films directed by women. Let’s celebrate the great work that women have done and are doing. I refuse to let this diminish the amazing future ahead. Let’s go high.”
Paul Greengrass’ "The Uprising," starring Andrew Garfield, opened to $3.2M from 2,068 theaters this weekend. Yikes. The budget hasn’t been disclosed, but is said to be in the $20-$30M range.