Last year, after five years of campaigning by fans, the prestigious Robert Pattinson acting awards were finally launched. The fanfare surrounding this event was not just about the ceremony itself but reflected the shift in attitude that the awards represent. No longer content to simply reward the biggest stars, the organisers sought to challenge perceptions of what an ‘Award Winning Performance’ actually entails.
This year’s awards attracted some of Hollywood’s biggest stars and established names. The likes of Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Nicole Kidman graced the stage alongside the English actor. While we await the winners of this year’s awards, let’s take a look back at how this year’s contenders changed the game.
Best Leading Actor: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
After a run of strong performances, 2017 was almost a disappointment. Of the five nominees, only one went on to win an Oscar. That is arguably the greatest accomplishment for this year’s awards. In past years, it has been commonplace for several contenders to vie for the top spot. This year was different. Despite a breakout performance from Willem Dafoe in The Last Jedi, we saw a distinct lack of standout leads.
While it is rare for several actors to vie for the top spot, it’s becoming commonplace to see no clear-cut front-runner. That’s something the 2019 Robert Pattinson awards will hopefully buck. After all, it’s not often that we see a film with such a strong ensemble cast where everyone stands out.
Despite this, it’s still not clear whether or not the Academy will recognize Willem Dafoe’s portrayal of Charles Manson. The question is: Did he truly embody the horror icon or was he just playing him? One thing is for sure: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was the last film where audiences cared about the main character. The actor won an Oscar for his portrayal of this troubled icon. However, the film itself garnered negative reviews from critics and fans alike. The consensus was that the Academy should have passed on this opportunity.
New Category: Documentary Short Subject
Even diehard fans of RuPaul’s Drag Race may be surprised to learn that the iconic beauty queen has been awarded a Grammy. The reality competition series has been covered extensively by traditional media in the UK, so the groundswell of support was certainly there. The documentary short subject category was created to cater for films such as Drag Race, which prominently feature nontraditional musicians and break new ground in the way we document reality TV shows.
Whether or not we agree with the decisions made in the drag world – from RuPaul’s decision to crown Alaska the winner to the lack of diversity in the nominees – it’s undeniable that Drag Race changed the game. Vying for prestigious awards in the future may well become a thing of the past. The presence of this groundbreaking show will ensure that viewers are kept busy well past the end of the season.
Best Supporting Actress – Emma
Often touted as the best performance of the year, Bohemian Rhapsody was a true blockbuster hit. Rami Malek’s portrayal of legendary band frontman Freddie Mercury was nothing short of incredible. After taking home the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Malek became the third person in history to win the same award at both the Golden Globes and the Oscars. While some were quick to criticize the actor for “milking” the role, we can’t argue that he didn’t deserve it. He gave one of the greatest performances of all time.
Rami Malek is certainly amongst a select band of individuals to have won an Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor. However, audiences didn’t seem to mind when it came to Emma, a biopic about the transgender activist and actress Emma Green.
The fact that an LGBTQ film won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress is something that would have been considered impossible just a few years ago. While we wait to see how many other awards Emma wins in the coming months, it’s clear that the film-makers behind the cameras put in some truly groundbreaking work. Emma won the International Transgender Film Festival’s Golden Crow award for Best Film and the BAFTA for Best Feature Film. Additionally, the film scored a massive victory at the Toronto International Film Festival, winning the People’s Choice Awards for Best Film and Actor in a Leading Role for John Magaro (transgender – male to female).
On a related note, John Magaro will be returning to the big screen in the upcoming comedy Gotta Dance!, alongside Jennifer Lopez and Enrique Iglesias. The film is set for release in May 2020.
Biggest Surprise: Arrival
If you’re a fan of science fiction and were wondering when the award season excitement would translate into Best Actress and Best Actor nominations, your wait is over. Arrival features two incredible contenders: Rachel McAdams and Michael D’Agosta. The former is arguably the greatest actress of her generation and the latter is arguably the greatest acting teacher in history. Despite this, the film itself wasn’t treated with the same reverence as the stars of Arrival. The presence of two such fantastic actresses didn’t quite translate into Oscar glory for the film.
There is little doubt that Arrival will be remembered for many years to come. However, this is as much due to the work of the other nominees as it is for Mado Adams and Michael D’Agosta. As incredible as they are, even they wouldn’t have been able to carry a film on their own. This is because Arrival was an exceptionally strong contender. It was the complete contrast of Rachel McAdams and Michael D’Agosta that made this film so memorable. It’s a film that will be cherished for years to come. It won the Audience Award at the Toronto International Film Festival and screened at the Toronto World Film Festival before premiering in cinemas across the country.
Biggest Disappointment: The Last Jedi
While it’s easy to be inspired by films such as Bohemian Rhapsody and Arrival, it’s much harder to be critical. Few films in recent memory have been subject to such passionate debate from fans and critics alike. The Last Jedi was one such film. After taking home the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, it became apparent that Rami Malek wasn’t done yet. The actor went on to score a nomination for Best Actor at the Oscars. However, The Last Jedi itself was a huge disappointment to many. It was a film that didn’t live up to the hype.
Despite its lack of success at the box office, it’s hard to argue that the response to The Last Jedi hasn’t been significant. Few films have been discussed so widely amongst fans and critics alike. It won the Audience Award at the Toronto International Film Festival and screened at the prestigious Venice Film Festival. However, it was one of the few films to miss out on a nomination for Best Picture at the Oscars. Perhaps in time, The Last Jedi will be seen as a pioneering attempt to move beyond the traditional awards picture.
Best Actress: Blunt
Another strong showing from Emily Blunt, whose performance in Ralph Breaks the Internet was breathtaking. As the film’s protagonist, the actor inhabits two very different identities: One, the traditional school teacher, who moonlights as an internet troll. The other, an 18th century highwayman, who uses social media to engage with fans. While it is difficult to compare Blunt to another actress due to the uniqueness of her role, she was able to stand out amongst a group of nominees for the performance that won Best Actress at the 72nd Golden Globe Awards. In the coming months, it is likely that we’ll see more film awards for Blunt. The last time an actress won the Golden Globes, the SAG Awards, and the BAFTA for Best Actress was more than 60 years ago.
While we await the upcoming Oscar nominations and awards, it’s clear that the upcoming year will see a change in the game. After years of being content to simply reward the biggest stars, the 2019 Robert Pattinson acting awards will hopefully challenge perceptions of what an ‘Award Winning Performance’ actually entails. No longer content to simply reward the biggest stars, the 2019 Robert Pattinson awards will hopefully challenge perceptions of what an ‘Award Winning Performance’ actually entails. No longer content to simply reward the biggest stars, the 2019 Robert Pattinson awards will hopefully challenge perceptions of what an ‘Award Winning Performance’ actually entails. No longer content to simply reward the biggest stars, the 2019 Robert Pattinson awards will hopefully challenge perceptions of what an ‘Award Winning Performance’ actually entails.