The time period “Oscar-bait” — used to seek advice from movies which can be particularly designed, marketed, and distributed to particularly attempt to guarantee getting some Academy Awards consideration — is not new, having began for use around the early 1940s. It is usually accepted that it wasn’t till the ’70s, nevertheless, that true Oscar-bait movies as they’re recognized as we speak started to be produced, starting with the Best Picture-winning The Deer Hunter. That, nevertheless, is an exceptional movie. That is not at all times the case with these varieties of films.
Typically, movies are so obsessive about the purpose of getting Oscars that they neglect to… Effectively, be good. Failed Oscar-bait movies aren’t uncommon, however what’s definitely rarer is an Oscar-bait movie that, regardless of not being notably nice, does handle to snag a number of Academy Awards. All through latest Oscars historical past, there have been just a few noteworthy events when the Academy has rewarded motion pictures that audiences would not essentially agree deserved the gold.
10 ‘Les Misérables’ (2012)
Directed by Tom Hooper
Primarily based on Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil, and Jean-Marc Natel‘s legendary sung-through stage musical of the identical identify, which is likewise based mostly on Victor Hugo‘s Nineteenth-century epic, Les Misérables as a interval musical that’s, on the very least, very distinctive. It follows the story of Jean Valjean, who has for many years been hunted by the ruthless policeman Javert after breaking parole. After he agrees to take care of a manufacturing facility employee’s daughter, each their lives change eternally.
The movie is directed by Tom Hooper, who solely two years in the past had earned an Oscar for his Finest Image-winning The King’s Speech (additionally relatively Oscar-baity fare). Followers of the supply materials had been at all times going to like this, however these simply in search of an important interval piece aren’t prone to discover it right here. With a weird aesthetic by Hooper’s monotone path, and an absence of the vitality and vibrancy that makes the unique musical so timeless, Les Misérables fails to dwell as much as its identify. It is technically gorgeous, a number of the performances are nice (Anne Hathaway having gained an Oscar for hers), and the story is of course deeply compelling, however the way in which it is executed falls flat. Hooper’s subsequent two movies, The Danish Girl and Cats, had been additionally Oscar bait. The previous had success with the Academy much like Les Mis‘s, and the latter ought to want no introduction.
- Launch Date
- December 25, 2012
- Runtime
- 158minutes
- Writers
- Victor Hugo , William Nicholson
- Funds
- $61 million
9 ‘Evita’ (1996)
Directed by Alan Parker
One of many biggest British filmmakers of his era, the good Alan Parker took on the bold process of adapting Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice‘s hit musical Evita for the massive display. It is based mostly on the lifetime of Eva Perón, a B-picture Argentinian actress who grew to become the spouse of Argentinian president Juan Domingo Perón. At one level, she was each essentially the most beloved and essentially the most hated girl in Argentina.
The movie isn’t without its fans, however all in all, it is about as so-so as Oscar-bait musicals come. Stuffed with historic inaccuracies, with an excruciatingly lengthy runtime, and with a lead efficiency by Madonna that break up each critics and audiences proper down the center, Evita hasn’t aged notably effectively. That being mentioned, its lush visuals positively assist elevate the fabric, and the rousing music is undeniably phenomenal. Thus, it is hardly stunning that the movie’s solely Oscar victory got here within the Finest Authentic Track class, for the exceptional “You Should Love Me.”
Evita
- Launch Date
- December 14, 1996
- Director
- Alan Parker
- Runtime
- 134
- Writers
- Tim Rice , Alan Parker , Oliver Stone
8 ‘Judy’ (2019)
Directed by Rupert Goold
Some of the iconic and legendary actresses of Hollywood’s Golden Age, Judy Garland had a tumultuous, tragic lifetime of dependancy and despair brought on by the oppressive system that she grew up in. Shortly earlier than her unhappy dying at 47 years previous in 1969, she went on a tour of sold-out exhibits that cemented her place as considered one of American historical past’s biggest performers. This tour is the topic of Judy, a biopic targeted on her life.
It should not have been too exhausting to make a captivating story concerning the life and trajectory of such a larger-than-life icon, however sadly, Judy is considered one of the most boring music biopics ever. With uninteresting path and a forgettable tone, all it has to fall again on is the aspect that earned it its solely Oscar: Renée Zellweger‘s efficiency because the star. It is a robust, compassionate, shifting piece of performing, even when there’s nothing about it that actually stands out as the perfect lead feminine efficiency of 2019.
Judy
- Launch Date
- September 27, 2019
- Director
- Rupert Goold
- Runtime
- 118
- Writers
- Tom Edge , Peter Quilter
7 ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ (2018)
Directed by Bryan Singer
A venture about Freddie Mercury and his involvement with Queen had been in growth hell for years earlier than Bryan Singer lastly took on the venture and adopted it to fruition. The result’s Bohemian Rhapsody, a docudrama that follows the legendary singer and rock band from their humble beginnings to their momentous efficiency at 1985’s Dwell Support live performance.
Regardless of its solid (if unextraordinary) performances, Rami Malek‘s lead efficiency as Freddie being one of many film’s 4 Oscar wins, the movie largely appears like a watered-down, cherry-picked portrayal of this story making an attempt to enchantment to the bottom widespread denominator. It seems and sounds nice (deservedly successful each Sound classes), and it has loads of memorable moments, however ultimately, its wonky modifying (which one way or the other additionally gained Academy gold), poor path, and by-the-numbers script let it down.
- Launch Date
- October 24, 2018
- Runtime
- 135 minutes
- Writers
- Anthony McCarten , Peter Morgan
- Studio
- twentieth Century Fox
6 ‘Bombshell’ (2019)
Directed by Jay Roach
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In what’s undebatably probably the greatest years for cinema of the twenty first century to date, there was additionally a good quantity of forgettable fluff. Working example: 2019’s Bombshell, a few group of girls who took on Fox Information head Roger Ailes and the poisonous office ambiance that he presided over on the community, characterised by misogyny, abuse, and sexual harassment.
It squandered all of it on what appears like a Wikipedia web page placed on the massive display.
There have been loads of outstanding true crime movies made through the latter half of the 2010s. Bombshell wasn’t considered one of them. Within the wake of the “Me Too” motion, its story was extra well timed and necessary than ever earlier than. So, it took that premise and a solid of extremely proficient performers and squandered all of it on what appears like a Wikipedia web page placed on the massive display. Its Make-up and Hairstyling Oscar win was effectively deserved, but it surely was sadly for a uninteresting, lifeless movie that does extra of a disservice to its subject material than the rest.
5 ‘The Iron Woman’ (2011)
Directed by Phyllida Lloyd
The docudrama that gave Meryl Streep her third Academy Award, The Iron Lady is about an aged Margaret Thatcher speaking to the imagined presence of her just lately deceased husband, as she struggles to come back to phrases along with his dying whereas scenes of her life intervene. Thatcher is not precisely essentially the most beloved determine in UK historical past, so it is no surprise {that a} movie with only a bit an excessive amount of sympathy and admiration for her obtained largely criticism from critics and audiences alike.
Even setting political issues apart, although, The Iron Woman is simply too bland and self-important to be thought-about notably good. Regardless of Streep delivering a strong impression of Thatcher beneath considered one of the best prosthetic makeup jobs of the 2010s (which additionally gained an Oscar), the movie is simply too aimless and too lukewarm in its stance in the direction of its topic to be even a bit of bit fascinating.
The Iron Woman
- Launch Date
- December 30, 2011
- Director
- Phyllida Lloyd
- Runtime
- 105
- Writers
- Abi Morgan
4 ‘Pearl Harbor’ (2001)
Directed by Michael Bay
Well-known for his explosive, loud, VFX-heavy motion spectacles, Michael Bay is a director that most individuals both love or hate. A few of his motion pictures, although, are genuinely exhausting to defend — even for his followers. Pearl Harbor is one such movie. An excruciating three hours lengthy, it is a battle epic following two lifelong pals and a wonderful nurse, who’re caught up within the horror of an notorious Sunday morning in 1941.
Although the movie has terrific technical qualities, from spectacular visuals to beautiful sound design (which gained the movie’s sole Oscar) to considered one of Hans Zimmer‘s most underappreciated scores, that is about so far as reward for it will possibly go. Its romance is tedious at finest and unintentionally humorous at worst, its script lacks numerous polish, and the runtime definitely does not assist in making the expertise any simpler to get via.
Pearl Harbor
- Launch Date
- Might 21, 2001
- Runtime
- 3h 3m
- Writers
- Randall Wallace
3 ‘Inexperienced E book’ (2018)
Directed by Peter Farrelly
Largely thought-about the worst Best Picture winner of the 2010, Green Book made it in order that the assertion “the director of Dumb and Dumber has two Oscars” grew to become true. It is a biopic following working-class Italian-American bouncer Tony Lip as he turns into the driving force of African-American classical pianist Dr. Donald Shirley on a tour of venues via the Sixties American South.
The movie’s depiction of its core anti-racism themes is surprisingly surface-level and simplistic for a Finest Image Oscar recipient. Moreover, its bland type and Shirley’s household’s claims that they had been not noted of the movie’s manufacturing altogether stirred loads of controversy. There are just a few shifting moments and Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali (the latter of whom gained his second Oscar for his work) are phenomenal, however there’s not sufficient right here to make Inexperienced E book worthy of as a lot awards recognition because it acquired.
Inexperienced E book
- Launch Date
- November 16, 2018
- Director
- Peter Farrelly
- Runtime
- 130
- Writers
- Nick Vallelonga , Brian Currie , Peter Farrelly
2 ‘The Blind Facet’ (2009)
Directed by John Lee Hancock
If there ever has been an Oscar-winning film that is aged like milk, The Blind Side is it. It is (supposedly) about Michael Oher, a homeless and traumatized boy who grew to become a soccer legend and first-draft NFL draft decide with the (alleged) assist of a (supposedly) caring girl and her household. There’s only one drawback: The true Michael Oher has denounced the movie’s veracity, and sued the real Tuohy family for having tricked him and used him as a money cow.
Even earlier than the lawsuit, although, The Blind Facet was by no means notably good. Saccharine, manipulative, and closely sentimental, the movie twists Oher’s actual story and molds it right into a white savior narrative extra uncomfortable than most. Even the film’s solely Oscar win, for Sandra Bullock‘s lead efficiency, tends to be thought-about the worst Best Leading Actress win of the 2000s.
- Launch Date
- November 20, 2009
- Director
- John Lee Hancock
- Runtime
- 129 Minutes
- Writers
- John Lee Hancock , Michael Lewis
1 ‘Crash’ (2004)
Directed by Paul Haggis
There’s Oscar-winning movies that have aged poorly, after which there’s Oscar-winning motion pictures that had been by no means even any good to start with. Sadly, Paul Haggis‘s Crash belongs to the latter class. It is a crime thriller that interweaves the tales of race, loss, and redemption of a colourful group of Los Angeles residents main vastly separate lives.
The film’s level finally boils all the way down to “racism is unhealthy,” which the Academy loves. What’s worse, hammering that time residence in each manipulative, hyper-sensationalized method it will possibly discover is what Crash is all about. It managed to take residence three Oscars: Finest Movie Enhancing, Finest Authentic Screenplay, and even Finest Image, regardless that most individuals who’ve seen it will agree that it did not actually deserve any Oscar nominations. However, Crash gained what it gained, and that reality stays as we speak one of many Academy’s most laughable moments.
