With the end of one Oscar season, another opens (at least for speculation) with Matt Reeves’ latest look at the Batman franchise starring Robert Pattinson, Jeffrey Wright, Zoe Kravitz, Paul Dano and Colin Farrell.
The director and co-writer (along with Peter Craig) presents a grim look at the world’s greatest detective as he fights the villains Ridder, Penguin and (quite, but not really) Catwoman. Receiving positive reviews from critics, will this new look at Caped Crusader focus on the Oscars – including Best Picture – in the footsteps of The Black Panther (2017) and The Joker (2019)?
But with a limited sense of what the rest of 2022 will have to offer to the cinematic landscape, there are certainly two places worth seeing Batman for recognition: cinematography and original music.
The camera work performed by the two-time nominee Greig Fraser is divine, shaping an intimate and stressful experience that only a master of his caliber can achieve. In fact, since the film is set to hit theaters this Friday, his work could eventually push him above this year’s Oscar final with his Dune nomination. The Australian DP was also nominated for “Lion” by Garth Davis (2016).
Composer Michael Giacino is no stranger to the world of Oscars. He received both Pixar Oscar nominations: Ratatouille (2007) and Up (2009), the latter winning an Oscar. Since then, Giacino has not been invited to the ceremony again as a nominee despite worthy outings such as Inside Out (2015), Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Coco (2017) and Jojo Rabbit (2019). . But the result of “Batman” can be the defining one in his career, creating a bombastic wealth that feels distinctive and only adds to every shot presented.
All this is completely speculative. I was very impressed with the performances of Kravitz and Dano, but they don’t seem to be the kind of “showy” work that even newer members tend to fall for. The film’s production design, sound and visual effects are at your fingertips. Major categories such as picture, directing, lead actor for Robert Pattinson and adapted screenplay do not seem achievable, although social media will try to shape a story to the contrary. However, you should expect it in the top 10 next year from some critics and several regional awards to cite it in a significant way, providing false hope for the fandom.
Given all this, it is also important to know how Batman’s other efforts with the Academy have gone.
Warner Bros./ Courtesy of Everett Collection
Tim Burton’s “Batman” (1989), starring Michael Keaton, was nominated and won for Best Artistic Direction and Decoration (now called Production Design). It was the first and only nomination for the late producer Anton First, who died in 1991. Decorator Peter Young will win a second statuette for another Burton classic, Sleepy Hollow (1999).
Burton and Keaton’s last appearance together for “Batman Returns” (1992) marked mentions of best makeup and visual effects. Fans often cite Michelle Pfeiffer’s contemptuous attitude toward the villainous Catwoman as a supporting actress as one of the Academy’s most egregious blunders. That same year, however, she won one of the coolest Oscars in history with Marisa Tomei as the merry Mona Lisa Vito in My Cousin Winnie (1992).
Continuing to grow in the number of Oscar nominations, under Joel Schumacher and the new Bruce Wayne / Batman, played by Val Kilmer, “Batman Forever” (1995) received three nominations for cinematography, sound and sound effects editing. He lost his awards to one winner in the best picture and another nominee: “Braveheart” and “Apollo 13”.
Seal’s hit “Kiss From a Rose” may be less well-known, which was included in “Batman Forever”, but did not meet the requirements for the category of original songs, as it was on his second album. The song went to the Grammys in 1996 to record the year, song of the year and male pop vocal album, which sold eight million copies.
The Caped Crusader made its first stumbling block with Schumacher’s next effort, “Batman and Robin” with George Clooney, who took on the mantle that critics criticized and is widely considered the worst cinematic outing for the comic book hero. However, the film gathered cult followers, especially for the performances of its villains: Mr. Freese by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Poison Ivy by Uma Thurman.
Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy gave the franchise a rough reset with Christian Bale putting the lid on. Beginning with “Batman Begins” (2005), the film received one mention of cinematography from Wally Pfister, losing to Dion Beebe for “Memoirs of a Geisha.”
The Dark Knight (2008) changed the game not only for the superhero genre, but also for the Oscars themselves. Following the untimely death of actor Heath Ledger, the second installment grossed more than $ 1 billion worldwide and was the highest-grossing film of 2008, as well as the fourth highest-grossing film of all time in the country. Ledger’s lineup as the Joker is considered one of the best villains in film history, eventually winning a posthumous Oscar for Best Supporting Actor – only the second in history since Peter Finch’s “Network” (1976). The film received an impressive eight Oscar nominations, but was notoriously rejected for Best Picture and Best Director. Nevertheless, this is largely due to the Academy’s decision to expand the number of nominees for best film from five to 10, which happened next year.
Nolan’s last appearance with Bale in “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012) did not receive any residual goodwill, he was eventually excluded from the Oscar nominations.
Since then, DCEU has had Batman as part of larger vehicles for characters such as David Ayer’s Suicide Squad (2016), which, despite being shattered by critics, won an Oscar for makeup and hair. Todd Phillips’ Joker (2019), starring Joaquin Phoenix, features only young Bruce Wayne, but received the most Oscar nominations for that year with 11, eventually winning two for Best Actor and Original Music. .