Hello, everybody! This is the ultimate episode of our Oscar-eligible songs presentation. I hope that you had a good time so far.
As we did until now, we begin with a favorite. In fact, we begin with two favorites, that both fight for a place in the top 5 with almost equal chances.
First, there's Stand Up for Something, by Andra Day featuring Common. It comes from the movie Marshall, a film about a young Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American Supreme Court Justice, as he battles through one of his career-defining cases. The film was decently reviewed and had modest box-office returns, while the song stood out:
The other is Mighty River, performed by the great Mary J. Blige. It appears on the movie Mudbound, a saga of two families in the American South, one black and one white, and how their fates are tragically intermingled. The film is good, it stands a chance to be nominated for Best Picture, and Mary J. Blige stands an even better chance to be nominated for Best Supporting Actress. The song should get nominated, but if it misses, it will miss by a hair's breadth:
Pitch Perfect 3 is the not-so-perfect new entry in the Pitch Perfect franchise. How A Heart Unbreaks is the eligible song:
Same Kind of Different as Me didn't make much of an impact. Stubborn Angels, by Country star Brad Paisley, doesn't really stand a chance, although it's OK for what it is:
If it's geo-blocked for you, catch it on Deezer: Stubborn Angels
Documentaries often contain interesting songs and they sometimes re-introduce us to old favorites. Case in point: Served Like a Girl brings back the fabulous Pat Benatar, singing Dancing Through The Wreckage:
Another documentary that has an eligible song is Egyptian-themed Tickling Giants. The title track, performed by Anteka and Omar Boflot, is Oscar-eligible:
The Shack was badly-reviewed, but it made money. Country's reigning power couple, Tim McGraw & Faith Hill, sing Keep Your Eyes On Me:
On The Music Goes, by Crystal Starr, from the movie Slipaway, is nowhere to be found. So, moving on...
The Star is a computer-animated Christian adventure comedy film; that's quite a mouthful. If it weren't for Mariah Carey singing, the title track wouldn't even be in the conversation. It's not like it's a favorite, but its inclusion in the top 5 isn't that improbable either:
Jump, performed by Cynthia Erivo, is found in the acclaimed high-school step dance documentary called Step. It is an improbable but not impossible nominee:
Trafficked is yet another badly-reviewed drama. Ginny Owens' song, Fly Away, is eligible, but not quite a top 5 candidate:
If it's geo-blocked for you, catch it on Deezer: Fly Away
Voice from the Stone is a thriller that didn't quite set the world on fire. Evanescence's Amy Lee was a good choice, however, to perform the film's song, the Oscar-eligible Speak To Me:
Finally, Year by the Sea is yet another badly-reviewed drama. This one is faith-based. Appropriately, a Canadian gospel artist and missionary, Bruce Rawling, performs the Oscar-eligible song, Walk On Faith:
As I promised you yesterday, here are my predictions for the Best Song nominations: Remember Me from Coco and The Mystery of Love from Call Me By Your Name will surely be two. Evermore from Beauty and the Beast and This Is Me from The Greatest Showman will probably also be in the top 5. The fifth place will be claimed by either Stand Up for Something from Marshall, or Mighty River, from Mudbound.
Other songs that I'd like to see nominated include, Visions of Gideon from Call Me By Your Name, the title song from The Promise, You Shouldn't Look at Me That Way from Stars Don't Die in Liverpool, It Ain't Fair from Detroit, The Pure And The Damned from Good Time, and Dancing Through The Wreckage from Served Like a Girl.
Finally, songs whose presence in the top 5 wouldn't really surprise me include Prayers for This World from Cries From Syria, Never Forget from Murder on the Orient Express, I Don't Wanna Live Forever from Fifty Shades Darker, Truth to Power from An Inconvenient Sequel, How Does a Moment Last Forever from Beauty and the Beast, and If I Dare from Battle of the Sexes. In 25 days, we'll all know if I'm right or wrong...
Elvis Costello really pulls out all the stops for "You Shouldn't Look at Me That Way." It's a perfect complement to the film. In fact, "Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool" has a lot more heart than several other films I've seen that are being bruited for an Oscar. It's a bit stagy, and it reminds me a bit of "Sweet Bird of Youth," but the performances by Annette Bening and Jamie Bell are flawless. Of course, it goes without saying that it's based on a true story.
ReplyDeleteI haven't watched it yet, Alan, but I aim to, as soon as it's available. I love both Bening and Bell and am fascinated with the story of Gloria Grahame. I like stagy, but contemporary critics seem to not go for it much. It's their loss, imo.
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