OVP: Best Makeup & Hairstyling (2021)
The Nominees Were...
Mike Marino, Stacey Morris, & Carla Farmer, Coming 2 America
Nadia Stacey, Naomi Donne, Cruella
Donald Mowat, Love Larson, & Eva von Bahr, Dune
Linda Dowds, Stephanie Ingram, & Justin Raleigh, The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Goran Lundstrom, Anna Carin Lock, & Frederic Aspiras, House of Gucci
My Thoughts: Our first contest for 2021 is kind of a refreshing way to start. While Oscar has always had an over-reliance on the Best Picture categories, this features just one Oscar-nominee for Best Picture, and it's a film that's really hard to deny its nomination would've happened even without the top prize citation. The Makeup branch does a strong job of this in general, making sure that films are heard that the other branches ignore (wouldn't it be wild if Editing did this sometime?), and while only one of these movies is getting its sole nomination here (though it was such a big deal in the acting precursors we'll undoubtedly discuss it more the further we approach), in the ten-wide fields where the precursors honestly feel lazy, this is a fun way to start...though I do wish the overall quality of the nominations were better.
After all, it's hard to look at something like The Eyes of Tammy Faye and think "great makeup." It's not that we're seeing too much makeup, exactly-this is a movie about Tammy Faye Bakker, makeup is to be expected, and it shouldn't be subtle. It's that as the film ages, it becomes less & less believable. Chastain, an ethereal beauty, becomes an odd fit for the makeup Bakker wears in old age, and it doesn't feel human on her. This is one of the problems without recasting as someone ages-the old age makeup doesn't read as plausible on the big screen the further you get from the truth, and by the end, it has entered kabuki territory.
This is also true for House of Gucci. I don't really agree with the concept of the fat suit, but I'm not at the point where I'm docking points for using them because I think the point of acting is play-pretend...even if it feels a bit wrong for Jared Leto & his six-pack abs to be trying to do their best Chef Boyardee cosplay while actually overweight actors don't get roles like this. But the makeup throughout this reads as overdone, unrealistic, and frequently absurd. Leto's is the worst, don't get me wrong, but Gaga & Pacino also feel like they're wearing rubber on their faces. Only Adam Driver feels like he has a balance into a realistic-looking person, but this is definitely a case of "most" makeup rather than best.
Coming 2 America was the sequel to Coming to America, making it one of the few sequels to have both of the films cited in this category. This film expands to some degree the universe of the original, with Prince Akeem getting an expanded family & story in this movie. However, all of the strongest aspects of the movie (from a makeup perspective) are copied forward from the original, and that includes Murphy's depiction of Saul. I understand the history behind Murphy's choice to play this role (it was supposedly, at least in the original 1980's comedy, a spin on the concept of Jewish comedians wearing blackface at the turn of the century), but in 2021 especially, it reads as antisemitic. Of these three films that depend heavily on prosthetics it's the best, but it feels problematic and repetitive for a second Oscar citation.
The last two films are considerably better. Dune does some extraordinary things with transformations, particularly that of Stellan Skarsgard as this grotesque minotaur of a character, coming in & out of the mud as if he's sprung forth from it, and it works really well (he's not unrecognizable, but he feels like a different person). But the whole aesthetic of the movie kind of feels wonderful, with characters played by figures like Zendaya & Jason Momoa coming in as if they've fallen out of an elegant perfume ad (I mean that as a high compliment). Realism, a bit of magic, & a sense of mystery in the makeup, the effects here are clearly helping the movie in its purpose.
Cruella is also wonderful, and a reminder that this category isn't just about making famous actors look like other famous people (or monsters). It can also be about old school glamour, which we get throughout with the Emma's Stone & Thompson continually getting transformed into different ideas of high fashion. Particularly strong work with all of the spins on Cruella's hair, sporting different versions of black-and-white (that punk deliciousness when she has "future" across her face), it compliments the gorgeous costume work divinely.
Other Precursor Contenders: BAFTA went with The Eyes of Tammy Faye, and honestly stuck pretty close to the Oscar lineup, just getting rid of Coming 2 America in favor of Cyrano, while the Saturn Awards (which focus on Fantasy, Sci-Fi, & Horror, and have slightly different eligibility windows) gave their prize to Dune and also nominated a couple of 2021 films (specifically Nightmare Alley, Army of the Dead, and The Suicide Squad). The Makeup category has a shortlist, so we know sixth place was either Cyrano, Nightmare Alley, No Time to Die, The Suicide Squad, or West Side Story, and while it's tempting to pick one of the two Best Picture nominees, I think it was probably Cyrano (given the BAFTA nod and that this is spread over many years so there's lots of makeup effects all around) or The Suicide Squad (hey, they gave the first one a trophy!).
Films I Would Have Nominated: Let's start what is going to be a recurring theme in a lot of these categories out with a bang-where the hell is The Green Knight? One of the best movies of 2021 didn't show up for any nominations, and while there are lots of places I'd put it (I won't mention it every time, but when we get to the My Ballot article, it will be the nominations leader, and might well be in my Top 25 most-nominated films ever when all is said-and-done) not giving it a Makeup nod is utter rubbish.
Oscar’s Choice: The Eyes of Tammy Faye won both of the trophies it was up for, in this case probably besting Dune.
My Choice: Dune gets it over Cruella. I try not to fall for the prosthetics & famous actor transformation thing too hard (in the same way contemporary costumes should win occasionally, so should pretty makeup), but Dune is playing a different ball game. (Way) behind them is The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Coming 2 America, and House of Gucci.
And those are my thoughts-what are yours? Are you going with Oscar & the televangelists, or are you sticking to Dune and our sandy Armani pictoral? Why do you think Coming 2 America got in for its sequel work but not The Suicide Squad? And do you think we'll ever get a "pretty makeup" winner again? Share your theories below!
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