In the streaming era, it is difficult to find the answer. But when films are in an existential limbo, at least there are still movie stars. Perhaps the message to give them the grand goal they had hoped for was a safeguard, a memory, and a promise in equal measure. We like these people and look forward to seeing them again in better times.
Updated
April 26, 2021 at 12:32 AM ET
MORRIS Boy do i hope you’re right But it was also such a confusing night to show this off. It had this grand opening when Regina King picked up a statue and then took command, first guided by Soderbergh’s priorities for movement and vigor, then her refulgence set in to honor the scriptwriting nominees. An upcoming attraction for the capers.
But after that launch that was so fun and bragging and cinematic, the show went … to the Oscars. But even less than usual, as there wasn’t even very much television to be seen after this opening effort. The seminal excerpt from Kaluuya’s mom was wonderful, and the view of Chloé Zhao in the background of someone else’s close-up at her table after she was named best director was still stunned, shaking her head in disbelief that she actually is The Oscar winner was a fleeting high point. I just don’t know what the show wanted to know from us about the academy or the movies. It felt defensive and desperate and Hubristian celibate. No musical performances! No comedians! No clips of anyone acting!
There was no bait for anyone to be on. If you watch the Super Bowl or any debate, at least you know what it is about. You have a sense of someone’s narration. Last night was the night for some sort of MC to walk us through the basics and advocate keeping us up to date. This used to be the biggest commercial Hollywood could invent for itself. That kind of pride feels shameful now. This is partly because the industry has a lot to rethink who does what in both the C-Suites and craft guilds, thanks to this show. But it’s also because the industry continues to give itself up.
I mean, it’s eight years to the week that Steven Soderbergh gave the film’s death knell in a big speech at the San Francisco International Film Festival, at least the way he saw it. And there he was doing the academy’s custody work last night after proving himself extremely adaptable to what cinema is, to use its term, will – or will. Am I exaggerating? Are we past the point of no return when it comes to any of these distinctions? Should a Steven Soderbergh, one of our great filmmakers and the sharpest thinker of film as a philosophy, just be happy to have a job at this point?
SCOTT But what does this crisis really look like? Whatever the worries and blind spots of our jobs, you and I are people who like movies. In the 14 months since the last time we did this, I’ve liked a lot of movies, including a handful – “Nomad Land,” “Minari,” “Judas and the Black Messiah” – that took home some statues. These are not all good films; It’s also films that seem promising to me for the future of the art form, regardless of whether audiences find them on large or small screens.
