That nothing from this wildly original musical was Oscar-nominated — most notably ‘So May We Start,’ which provides one of the most arresting movie openings in recent memory — is a travesty that, like so many other snubs, calls into question the judgments and motivations of voters.
Let’s recap what did make the cut. ‘No Time to Die,’ Billie Eilish’s James Bond theme, would’ve won even if the Mael brothers of Sparks had been recognized with a nomination for far more sophisticated compositions. ‘Dos Oroguitas,’ penned by Lin-Manuel Miranda for ‘Encanto,’ probably should’ve won, if (like me) you believe the victor ought to have something more to do with the movie than merely playing over credits. Which is all that the other three do: Van Morrison’s ‘Down to Joy,’ from Kenneth Branagh’s brilliant black-and-white slice-of-Troubles-life ‘Belfast’; Beyoncé’s ‘King Richard’ tune, ‘Be Alive,’ which is perfectly fine but far from exceptional; and yet another forgettable Diane Warren made-to-order, ‘Somehow You Do,’ from the detox drama ‘Four Good Days.’ I contend no one but Warren herself could hum that last one if held at gunpoint and forced to do so to live. Fine, sure: giving the actual Oscar to Sparks for anything off ‘Annette’ compared to the above would be unthinkable. But have you seen this fantastical film? Have you noticed how strikingly the songs convey the hard emotions of the bonkers family drama unfolding? Are you seriously telling me another goddamn by-the-numbers Diane Warren ballad about fuck-all is more deserving than this entire operatic experience? Never mind #OscarsSoWhite — how about #OscarsSoDumb? (Also: #OscarsStillSoWhite.)
#SoundtrackSunday 024
‘Annette’
Milan/Masterworks, 2021
d: Leos Carax