The Academy Award nominations were announced this morning and although I didn’t go to the theatre much this past year, I have been thinking about who would be nominated and who I think should win, so here are my two cents… The nominees are:
Anonymous, costumes by Lisy Christl. This was one of those films that appeared at my local theatre for about a week before it disappeared. It is set in late 16th century England and is about the possibility of Shakespeare not being the author of his plays. I am not familiar with any of the previous work by the film’s costume designer but checking credentials online I see that Lisy Christl works mostly in Germany and did receive a German film award for John Rabe a film about the Nanjing massacre of 1937. The stills for Anonymous depict uneven costuming in terms of authenticity, but an excellent ability to capture mood. The nomination was deserved, but Christl won’t win.
Hugo, costumes by Sandy Powell. I haven’t seen this film because I hate 3D – it makes my eyes hurt. Looking at the stills I see a fantasy set in a very CGI’d Paris of c. 1930. The costuming is more character driven than historical-recreation. Sandy Powell always does an amazing job – her Oscars for The Young Victoria, The Aviator, and Shakespeare in Love were well deserved, as were many of her films that didn’t receive Oscars: Mrs. Henderson Presents, Velvet Goldmine, Orlando, Gangs of New York… However, Hugo is lovely to look at, and her costuming is great, but it’s not a contender against this year’s other nominees.
The Artist, costumes by Mark Bridges. I am familiar with some of Mark Bridges work. There Will Be Blood expertly captured that look and feel of dust and sweat you see in pictures of the old west, and Boogie Nights was exceptional, and surprisingly overlooked by Oscar when it came out in 1997. However, I just don’t see the 1920s when I look at stills from The Artist. I know part of the problem is the hair and make-up – it doesn’t capture the era, but the clothes all look a bit clichéd to me, and not what was being worn in real life or on film in the late 1920s. Maybe I will change my mind when I see this film, which I hope to do before the Oscar ceremony.
Jane Eyre, costumes by Michael O’Connor. I raved about this film when I saw it. The attention to period detail is perfection. Michael O’Connor won an Oscar, among many other awards for The Duchess, which was set mostly in the 1780s – a flamboyant, colourful and elegant era. Working against O’Connor for the award this year is the era when this film was set – the plain and dreary 1840s. I hope voters will recognize the degree of excellence Michael O’Connor achieved in this film.
W.E., costumes by Arianne Phillips. I have been a fan of Arianne Phillips ever since I saw A Single Man, but she also did great work in Walk the Line and the much overlooked Tank Girl. Now here’s the problem – from the images I have found online, Arianne Phillips costumes for W.E. are exceptional. She has recreated, line for line, Dior and Molyneux (among other designers) couture dresses actually worn by Mrs. Simpson. However, I doubt I will see this film because the reviews I read summed up what I had already surmised from the stills, that this is a sumptuous looking hot mess of a film. Madonna tells the story of two young, beautiful, misunderstood lovers, when in fact, the real Edward and Mrs. Simpson were middle aged, self-centered, manipulative users.
So, who do I think will win? Lisy Christl for Anonymous is this year’s long shot and Sandy Powell for Hugo is unlikely. Mark Bridges for The Artist, who I don’t think should win, might get swept up in the hysteria that is growing about a silent black and white film with a French star that has good odds for winning this year’s Oscar for best film.
Which leaves me with my two front-runners. Michael O’Connor for Jane Eyre, and Arianne Phillips for W.E., however, they both have hurdles to overcome: O’Connor did an exceptional job of costuming a dreary period in yet another version of a classic tale that was released at the beginning of the year and has been largely forgotten; while Arianne Phillips did an exceptional job recreating real garments from a glamorous era in a disaster of a film that nobody likes and is still not in general release. If I had to choose, I think I might bet on Arianne Phillips, only because she hasn’t won an Oscar yet for her work, and she deserved one for A Single Man.
Upon further reading I have discovered that many of the dresses in W.E. were hired or made for the film by others: Dior made three gowns, the revived house of Vionnet made four gowns, and the famous Molyneux wedding dress was already in existence from another film and hired from Cosprop. So my vote goes back to Michael O’Connor.
Added Jan 30: I just discovered that one of the costume suppliers to The Artist is the company Leluxe that makes ‘recreations’, or rather contemporary dresses based on cliche styles of the 1920s. Once I saw their website I recognized why I didn’t like the costuming of The Artist.
