Perhaps I should start with the good news. At this year's Oscars, the awards for best actor and best actress went to films that went on general release in the UK. Whilst ignoring the former for obvious reasons, the only award on the night with which I agreed was for Jessica Chastain, the lead in The Eyes of Tammy Faye. As I noted in my post of the 15th February, she was not even nominated for the BAFTA's.
Otherwise those films which only had very limited or no general release were the big winners. I'm not sure if Apple's CODA (winner of best picture) was shown in a cinema in the UK, although I know Netflix's The Power of the Dog (winner of best director) did make it at a few screens, but none nationally. But I cannot say if my favourite category (best original screenplay) was right. I avoided going to see Belfast. I never want to be reminded of the "troubles" in Northern Ireland. I just cannot imagine Kenneth Branagh winning something for writing? At least BAFTA got it right with Paul Thomas Anderson's Licorice Pizza. The British knew to exclude Belfast.
Of course, CODA won best adapted screenplay, although Tom Shone in the Sunday Times condemned it as "soft focus crap" whilst extolling the virtues of his (and my) five star The Worst Person in the World. Why are screenplay awards so far down the list? They should be at the top! One day there maybe separate awards for those films on general release. Until then, I shall not be paying for AppleTV, Netflix (they must be livid not to be the first streamer to win best picture), Amazon Prime and all the others.
PS The Power of the Dog is due to be shown at the Rex Berkhamsted in April. Shall I go?
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