The 94th Academy Awards nominations have been announced. “Dune,” “The Power of the Dog,” “West Side Story,” “Don’t Look Up,” and others had a terrific start. It was a morning of predictable misses for smaller-scale indies including Sean Baker’s “Red Rocket,” Janicza Bravo’s “Zola,” and Michael Sarnoski’s “Pig.” It’s understandable that not every brilliant picture from the previous year would receive an Oscar nomination. However, it’s difficult to digest when films like “The French Dispatch,” “The Card Counter,” “Mass,” and “The Green Knight” have received none.
Below are some great films of 2021 that got zero nominations to Oscars.
1. Pig
Director- Michael Sarnoski
With his only connection to the outside world lying in Portland businessman Amir, the taciturn, meditative hermit Rob has found solace deep in the heart of the dense Oregon forests and the unique bond with his only companion: his beloved truffle-hunting pig. Rob is tired of dealing with the deep anguish of long-term grief. He now, relies on a basic daily routine to maintain his sanity, self-respect, and dignity, completely oblivious to the fact that he has already attracted unwanted attention. His best friend is now disappeared, and vengeance will only make matters worse. Indeed, as weird as it may sound, inconsolable Rob merely wants his pig back. Therefore, he’ll go to any length to get her.
2. The Last Duel
Director- Ridley Scott
France in the fourteenth century. After saving Count Pierre d’Alençon’s life in the Battle of Poitiers, the battle-scarred veteran knight, Sir Jean de Carrouges, has a falling out with his brother-in-arms and erstwhile buddy, squire Jacques Le Gris. Then, to to Jean’s dismay, Marguerite de Thibouville, his lovely wife, accuses Le Gris of rape. To restore her honour, Jean accuses Jacques of the heinous crime against Marguerite before His Majesty, King Charles VI. He demands a duel—a practise that was prohibited many years ago. Truth, on the other hand, is in the eye of the beholder. As a result, the perception of three different realities and three opposing points of view leads to a brutal death fight.
3. The Card Counter
Director- Paul Schrader
William Tell is a gambler and former soldier. He sets out to reform a young man seeking vengeance on a common foe from their past. Tell is only interested in playing cards. Cirk, a vulnerable and angry young man seeking support to carry out his plan for revenge on a retired military major. He approaches him on the casino trail, shattering his ascetic existence. Tell sees his relationship with Cirk as a chance for redemption. Tell takes Cirk on the road with him after securing funding from mystery gambling financier La Linda. The odd duo sets their sights on winning the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. Cirk, on the other hand, proves impossible to maintain on the straight and narrow.
4. Annette
Director- Leos Carax
After an accidental encounter in bustling, modern Los Angeles, Henry and Ann—he, a failing stand-up comedian, she, a beloved opera diva—fall madly in love and become inseparable, defying all logic. All great romances, though, are filled with heartbreak. Ann gives birth to gifted Annette, the fruit of their love, a miracle, a child prodigy, and the couple’s damnation, in the face of public surprise and the dark side of success.
5. The French Dispatch
Director- Wes Anderson
Faced with the magazine’s probable demise, old-school editor-in-chief Arthur Howitzer Jr. assembles the crème de la crème of the magazine’s faithful expatriate journalists for one farewell issue. Three main pieces are set against the scenic backdrop of Ennui-sur-Blasé in Paris, France, and revolve around troubled genius painters, statuesque jail guards, flamboyant reviewers, moody idealists, conflicted ace reporters, great chefs, and, of course, the cops.
6. Passing
Director- Rebecca Hall
In the stately tearoom of New York City’s Drayton Hotel, Irene Redfield, a cultured upper-class woman of the 1920s, finds a cool respite from a sweltering July day. Clare, a blond woman gazing her down from across the room, catches her eye. She invites Irene back to the hotel where she and her husband, John, are staying while on a business trip. Clare reveals that she was reared by two white aunts after her father died, and she married him when she was quite young. They are interrupted by John, who openly despises and insults African-Americans, oblivious to his wife’s racial heritage or the fact that she is “passing” for the day.
7. The Green Knight
Director- David Lowery
On Christmas Day, in front of the noble King Arthur and his devoted Knights of the Round Table, Sir Gawain, the ruler’s nephew, accepts an a priori impossible challenge. To travel to the isolated Green Chapel and face its frightful lord, the enigmatic Green Knight. As a result, Sir Gawain sets off on a perilous journey into uncharted, fable-ridden lands one year after the dramatic confrontation with the great foe to uphold his word and prove his mettle. There is no turning back from this life-threatening quest, and any who dare to oppose the pitiless, green-hued arbiter of men will face death or glory.
