Nominees: Ordinary People, Mon Oncle d’Amérique, Atlantic City, Aakrosh, Airplane, The Elephant Man, Kagemusha, Raging Bull, The Shining, Pixote
Oscars pick: Ordinary People
Nominees: Coal Miner's Daughter, The Elephant Man, Raging Bull, Tess
I think Oscar did a great job; they selected 5 outstanding features and bestowed the top honor to the best film among their nominees - yeah, I know, that's not the majority opinion but I'm sticking to my guns. However, I think they screwed up on their foreign films' winner, though they at least gave a nomination to my favorite, and my favorite overall, Confidence.
István Szabó had an incredible run in the 80s, Hanussen, Colonel Redl, and Mephisto all rate among my favorites - and he opened the decade with arguably his best. Set in Budapest, under the cloud of Nazi occupation, it follows two resistance members who pose as husband and wife in order to evade detection - and from the start there's a palpable sense of panic and paranoia, as a woman struggles to memorize a whole different life for herself in a short span of time - panic, because she has to get it right, any small slip up, any contradiction could be the end of her. With this new identity comes the loss of self (she resists burning her past, destroying old photos), and the need to hide, to stay home, cloistered and claustrophobic. Paranoia and fear come from him, he wants her to follow orders, does she not understand the danger in calling attention to herself? Eventually the two connect, physically, and that adds another layer - what's the real life, the one you had, or the one created in order to survive?
The muted lighting and tight set design create a cramped, suffocating atmosphere, which heightens the psychological tension. Yet, amidst the fear, and uncertainty over who to trust, Confidence is a testament to resiliency and human connection.
A close second (actually a movie I like equally as much) was Resnais' Mon Oncle d’Amérique, which sees him return to his days as the great innovator. MUBI published a smart, short piece at their website that is well worth reading - Alain Resnais in One Shot
Ordinary People is third - I was in tune with its sensitive, damaged protagonist, and drawn to the thorny family dynamic. Mary Tyler Moore was a revelation, branching beyond her usually likable, bubbly personality and delivering the dramatic goods like I never expected. The uncomfortable and awkward conversations between mother and son were beautifully acted and painful to watch. Critic Roger Ebert described the film as "Intelligent, perceptive and deeply moving."
🎭 Acting? I found myself agreeing with Oscar's choice at the leads - While I was impressed with Moore, Spacek is beyond incredible, convincing and real as she grows from sheltered young teen to superstar. Sissy's always fantastic, but this ranks among her finest for me. And De Niro, he might not have as rich and full a character to play, but he's dynamite, always near to exploding.
In support, the Academy's winner, Hutton, was actually the lead, so I went with De Niro's co-star. And while the release date's difficult to pin down, Pixote had a limited run in Brazil in 1980, and that allows me to award first-time nominee Pera, as Pesci's counterpart.
Honorable Mentions:
Burt Lancaster, Atlantic City * Edward Woodward, Breaker Morant * Jack Nicholson, The Shining * Tatsuya Nakadai, Kagemusha * John Hurt and Anthony Hopkins, The Elephant Man * Timothy Hutton and Donald Sutherland, Ordinary People * Naseeruddin Shah, Aakrosh & Sparsh * Péter Andorai, Confidence
Honorable Mentions:
Chieko Baisho, A Distant Cry from Spring * Susan Sarandon, Atlantic City * Ildikó Bánsági, Confidence * Ellen Burstyn, Resurrection * Nora Aunor, Bona * Anda Onesa, Gently Was Anastasia Passing * Louise Portal, Cordélia * Mary Tyler Moore, Ordinary People * Marie Tifo and Charlotte Laurier, Good Riddance * Gena Rowlands, Gloria
