2016 OSCARS

In case you’ve been hiding under an internet-rock, the 2016 Oscar noms were announced today THEREFORE I’m gonna talk about my favorite category - Costume Design.

The rest of the categories aside because lol academy, I'm incredibly excited about the costume nominations this year. (I'm a bit sad that Brooklyn didn't make the cut, but it was probably too similar to Carol?) Overall - what a fantastic lineup! Very strong competition this year. For the first time in a while, I would be genuinely happy to see any of these films. In an ideal world, Jenny Beavan would win for Fury Road (my top pick) but if I were a betting woman, I'd go with The Danish Girl.

Anyway, more thoughts:

CAROL - costumes by Sandy Powell

In a word, exquisite. Everything about this movie is such a treat to watch, but the clothes in particular are wonderful. Powell pulled off the amazing task of capturing the period feel of the 50s without being too costumey. Each characters wardrobe felt very timeless and sartorially relevant today.  I am so envious of Carol’s coat collection. Normally would say Carol’s a strong contender for the Oscar given how much the Academy loves period pieces BUT I don’t think it’s ~dramatic enough to beat The Danish Girl. 

CINDERELLA - costumes by Sandy Powell

First of all, congrats to Powell for getting two nominations (also bonus points for making Cate Blachett look so fucking FIERCE in each film). Overall - this is a really fun film with great, dynamic designs. Unfortunately the wonky coloring pushed this from high fantasy into straight up cartoony territory at times, which undercut Powell’s designs in a negative way. Case in point - that hideous electric blue they laid over Cinderella’s ball gown - the actual dress is much more subtle. I don’t think it’s strong enough to win, but the academy could surprise us. Alice in Wonderland won a few years back. 

THE DANISH GIRL - costumes by Paco Delgado

All criticism of this film aside (much of which is absolutely valid!), the costumes are gorgeous. The 1920s are such a dynamic turning point in fashion history, and Delgado did a phenomenal job of capturing that period. This is a beautifully atmospheric film, and the bulk of that elegance comes from the characters’ wardrobe. My pick for the Oscar. 

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD - costumes by Jenny Beavan

I’ve been praying for this to get a nod since I saw it in May and I was SOOOOO excited to see it listed this morning. I know how misused this word is in the year of our lord 2016 but I really think Beavan’s designs will prove to be iconic. The best costume designs are the ones that function as an extension of the character’s personalities, and that’s absolutely the case here. If I were a member of the academy, this would get my vote. I unfortunately don’t think this is likely to snag the Oscar, but I think it’s a strong contender and could be a surprise.

THE REVENANT - costumes by Jacqueline West

This one was kind of a surprise for me, but I’m not mad about it? I didn’t notice them while watching, but in retrospect the costumes were actually a very important part of the film. Similar to Mad Max, West did a fantastic job of building these characters physically through their wardrobes. Very subtle but incredibly effective costume design. Possibly too subtle for academy voters, but I think The Revenant is going to have a strong presence so I could see this winning as well.