Category: Best Costumes

Posted on 2022-09-01 | No Comments |

The Virgin Spring (1960)

After the brutal rape and murder of his teenaged daughter, the devout Christian Max von Syndow stumbles on an opportunity to enact a furious revenge on the perpetrators. For a film with such a simple plot and short runtime, in it lies a deep exploration of religion and classic views on vengeance and innocence. Even beyond the medieval setting, the film presents the tale as a bit of age-old folklore. Unsurprisingly, Ingmar Bergman’s inspiration for the film was taken from a ballad describing the origins of a 12th century Swedish church.

Oscar Win: Best Foreign Language Film

Oscar Nomination: Best Costume Design, Black-and-White

Posted on 2022-08-23 | No Comments |

The Magic Flute (1975)

In this beloved work by Mozart, the Queen of the Night enlists prince Tamino to rescue her daughter Pamino from Sarastro. He’s helped on his quest by the peculiar bird catcher Papageno who is searching for a wife of his own. Not being familiar with the work, I was unaware that it is essentially a simplistic fairy tale set to opera music, which I’m sure is totally someone’s bag, but it’s not mine. Filmed to come across as a live production, the entire intro and a number of shots thereafter are of a random crowd of people indifferently staring straight ahead as an audience to the performance. But even for showing the performance, there are also a lot of closeups of the actors’ faces which detracts from being able to relish the delightful stage pieces and costumes (though looking at pictures online they could have gone much further on Papageno’s). It’s certainly an oddity in director Ingmar Bergman’s oeuvre, but really about what I’d expect from a filmed opera.

Oscar Nomination: Best Costume Design

Posted on 2022-08-17 | No Comments |

Velvet Goldmine (1998)

A decade after British glam rocker Jonathan Rhys Meyers withdrew from the spotlight, journalist Christian Bale accepts an assignment to write about the singer’s career and disappearance. Offering some gorgeous visuals, the non-linear, meandering story did little to hold my attention. Beyond the music and costumes that give an authentic 1970s glam rock feel, the most interesting parts involved the interactions of the three leads, which includes Ewan McGregor as an American musician, as their lives intertwine directly and indirectly over the years.

Oscar Nomination: Best Costume Design

Posted on 2022-08-12 | No Comments |

Camelot (1967)

Preparing for battle with his old friend Sir Lancelot (portrayed by Franco Nero), Richard Harris’s King Arthur reflects on the circumstances that led him to the destruction of his Camelotian ideal. I generally care less about the Arthurian legend, but it’s somehow a little more palatable in musical form. The costumes and sets are gorgeously bright and creative. I particularly fell for the early winter scene where Harris first meets Vanessa Redgrave’s Guinevere. Redgrave is beautiful and strong willed, believably carrying on romances with both of the men who aren’t bad in their roles either. I love that many years after becoming romantically involved on this set, Redgrave and Nero later married, adding an extra dash of romanticism to a continued story.

Oscar Wins: Best Art Direction-Set Decoration; Best Costume Design; Best Music, Scoring of Music, Adaptation or Treatment

Oscar Nomination: Best Cinematography; Best Sound

Posted on 2022-08-12 | No Comments |

Mr. Turner (2014)

The last twenty-five years in the life of eccentric artist J.M.W. Turner is brought to life here through a dedicated performance by Timothy Spall as Turner. The film is incomprehensively gorgeous to look at with expansive landscapes that look like they are Turner’s paintings brought to life. The performances across the board are similarly engaging; I particularly enjoyed Lesley Manville’s regrettably small role as scientist Mary Somerville. Unfortunately the narrative is insanely repetitive with an extra hour of footage that could easily be edited out without sacrificing any of the details of Turner’s later life.

Oscar Nominations: Best Achievement in Cinematography; Best Achievement in Costume Design; Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score; Best Achievement in Production Design

Posted on 2022-07-28 | No Comments |

Barton Fink (1991)

John Turturro is an up and coming New York playwright who accepts a contract to write scripts in Hollywood. The reality of the scriptwriting process proves to be more difficult than expected; he is assigned to write about an unfamiliar subject and regularly distracted by his insurance salesman hotel neighbor John Goodman. Difficult to interpret at many times, the film offers a dark perspective on the writing process, especially when it becomes a commercial endeavor. The performances are immensely committed, especially whenever combined with Turturro’s stand-out lead.

Oscar Nominations: Best Actor in a Supporting Role; Best Art Direction-Set Decoration; Best Costume Design

Posted on 2022-07-23 | No Comments |

Orlando (1992)

Queen Elizabeth I promises the androgynous Orlando an inheritance that will last as long as he remains youthful. Orlando manages to keep this promise through many centuries and a gender swap. It’s a sumptuous film that seamlessly weaves Orlando’s experiences through the ages. Standing out even amongst the beautiful settings and costumes, I can’t imagine anyone else than Tilda Swinton so aptly bringing the Orlando character to life, though it also works as well that Billy Zane play her love interest.

Oscar Nominations: Best Art Direction-Set Decoration; Best Costume Design

Posted on 2022-07-22 | No Comments |

Death on the Nile (1978)

In his first outing as the Belgian detective, Peter Ustinov’s Poirot witnesses an obsessive Mia Farrow hounding her ex-fiancé Simon MacCorkindale and his new wife/her former best friend Lois Chiles while the couple honeymoons on the Nile River. It is of course difficult to not compare this to Branagh’s recent take on the story. Ustinov is not a bad representation of Poirot, but I prefer Kenneth’s. Here Poirot is less a leader in the investigation and more a co-investigator with David Niven’s Colonel Race. While I liked the beginning setup in the newer version, I think overall this has the superior telling of the story. Filming on location seems to be an important detail to give the right feel for the story. The cast here is far better as well with stellar veterans such as Bette Davis, Maggie Smith and Angela Lansbury all providing support.

Oscar Win: Best Costume Design

Posted on 2022-07-05 | No Comments |

Anne of the Thousand Days (1969)

A teenaged Anne Boleyn catches the eye of King Henry VII and he’s willing to sacrifice almost anything for the chance to produce an heir with her. She’s willing to forego love to rise in power and esteem, but unfortunately for her what comes around goes around, especially when you’re subjected to the whims of a capricious leader. Lavish costumes and settings provide ample period style, while Geneviève Bujold’s Anne convincingly portrays a young woman caught in the crosshairs of power and rarely unable to stare it down. Richard Burton’s Henry is filled with his own self importance and lechery, overwhelming any accomplishments in other realms.

Oscar Win: Best Costume Design

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture; Best Actor in a Leading Role; Best Actress in a Leading Role; Best Actor in a Supporting Role; Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium; Best Cinematography; Best Art Direction-Set Decoration; Best Sound; Best Music, Original Score for a Motion Picture (not a Musical)

Posted on 2022-06-30 | No Comments |

Somewhere in Time (1980)

On the opening night of his first play, Christopher Reeve is visited by an elderly lady who used to be a famous stage actress in the early 1900s. Further investigation leads him to believe he met her during that earlier time period and endeavors to learn how to get back there to meet her again. This gentle romance gracefully balances the love aspects with a simple, but consistent version of time travel. Reeve’s natural charisma is well met with Jane Seymour as his love interest and Christopher Plummer as her agent who tries to get in the way.

Oscar Nomination: Best Costume Design