With the Oscar nominations having been announced on Tuesday and the Screen Actors Guild Awards being this Sunday, the film award season is well underway. The contenders of these awards though can often be films that people know very little about. So here are some films that you can check out on the big screen before the Oscars.

 

Vice (8 nominations)

This is already kind of cheating, because Vice isn’t actually upcoming because it came out today. However, Adam McKay’s film about former US Vice President Dick Cheney (Christian Bale) is still a must-watch.  The film follows Cheney’s manipulation of the political system that saw him become the most powerful VP in US history. It’s a political drama that doesn’t get bogged down by its technical jargon. Like with his last film The Big Short, McKay manages to condense a complicated issue into a film that is very palatable. Though he has strayed away from straight-up comedies in recent years, his comedic touch is sprinkled throughout Vice, making for a political drama that is much less drab than others in the genre. Also, Christian Bale put on almost 20kg for this role, so go see it to show your support to a man dedicated to his craft (he’s really great in the movie too).

 

Green Book (5 nominations)

Green Book is a ‘real-life’ story centred around Tony Vallelonga’s (Viggo Mortensen) experience working as a driver for famed black pianist Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) during his tour of the deep south. The reason why I’m hesitant to say it’s a real-life story is because the film has faced some backlash for supposed historical inaccuracies, which is especially interesting as the film is co-written by Vallelonga’s son Nick. However, the film is still proving to be a hit with critics and audiences alike. It’s touted as a feel-good movie about racial tension, and while that may sound strange, it could prove to be a winning combination. Earlier in the month, it was awarded Best Picture at the Producers Guild Awards, and while they may not sound relevant, the PGAs have predicted 20 out of the last 29 Best Picture winners at the Oscars. With no clear favourite established for Best Picture, we could very well see Green Book taking home the biggest award of the night. Green Book hits UK screens on 30^th January.

 

Can You Ever Forgive Me? (3 nominations)

Can You Ever Forgive is another based on true-story film (probably moreso than Green Book), and follows the journey of author Lee Israel (Melissa McCarthy) who, during a particularly low point in her career, began making money by forging letters in the style of famous dead writers. Despite the film not being released until the 1^st February in the UK, I was lucky enough to see it at the London Film Festival. Here is McCarthy talking about how she related to her character.

People who glanced at the nomination list can be forgiven for questioning the inclusion of Melissa McCarthy in the Best Actress category. After all, dramatic acting isn’t really thought of as her wheelhouse. However, the nomination is well-deserved. She fits the character like a glove. There are just enough witty remarks in the writing that mean that McCarthy doesn’t have to step too far out of her comfort zone, but even then she is equally adept at managing the more emotional moments. The film isn’t nearly as recognised as some of the bigger names this award season, but it’s still something that is worth a watch.