Black Panther (2018)
[Reader disclaimer: there will be spoilers discussed].
For the second film this week, I watched Black Panther (2018) and I must admit, I had already seen this one before, though this is the only nominee I've seen prior to reviewing it. You've probably already read a million articles on this film due to its notoriety and enormous following, but I still think it's worth touching on, for the sake of keeping things in equal running for Best Picture.
I would like to go on record now and say that I am indifferent to the Marvel franchise. You have some critics that will rip holes in every single scene to make a point (though I never really know what their point is, other than being an asshole) and you have some critics that are die-hard nerds and will lovingly (but biasedly) praise a Marvel film, no matter how it comes out. I am neither and try to remain objective when reviewing these kinds of movies.
Black Panther opens with a visually dynamic and aestheticised animation, with a voice-over giving the viewer context to who and what the Black Panther is. Whilst I would normally chastise a film for opening with a lazy device like storytelling, I found myself applauding the film for it on this occasion: perhaps it was because I was unfamiliar with the source material or just because I was genuinely immersed from the get-go, but either way, I found it engaging.
I think it needs to be said that although the cast is phenomenally funny and strong in their delivery of scenes, the aspects of Black Panther that shouldn't be slept on are costume design and musical score, two things that it has been (rightfully) given a nomination for respectively.
The costume design is exceptional, beautifully incorporating traditional African garb with quasi-futuristic designs; the musical score seamlessly blends the sounds of the djembe drum and artificial synthwave to create something customary yet contemporary as a result. I would argue that one of the film's biggest assets, in a technical sense, is its use of sound.
As aforementioned, I loved the cast. I loved that the cast was predominantly POC and that Martin Freeman and Andy Serkis, being two of the only Caucasian actors in the film, did not overshadow anyone else's performance. I love that Okoye (played by Danai Gurira) became a showstopper with her choreography and witty dialogue. I love that the villain had valid points and criticisms of the Wakandan policies, and that his desire to liberate other African-Americans in the world, though motivated more by repressed hatred than a need for equality, was wholeheartedly justified (just not in the way that he planned to do it).
Now, as much as I'd like to give this film two thumbs up, there are some downsides. I found the pacing to be irregular in parts, grinding almost to a halt and then losing me amidst a flurry of CGI fight scenes. And talking of CGI, let's be honest: there was no need for the rhinos, guys. The rhinos were fun but completely unnecessary.
What's it nominated for?
Currently, Black Panther is nominated for:
- Best Picture - Kevin Fiege
- Best Original Music Score - Ludwig Göransson
- Best Costume Design - Ruth E. Carter
- Best Sound Mixing - Steve Boeddeker, Brandon Proctor and Peter J. Devlin
- Best Production Design - Hannah Beachler and Jay Hart
- Best Sound Editing - Steve Boeddeker and Benjamin A. Burtt
- Best Original Song - All The Stars - Kendrick Lamar and SZA
Should it win?
Whilst I highly praise Black Panther for it's costuming and musical score, I feel that it may not win its respective categories: it's always likely that a period piece will win favour for costuming (in this case being a close call between Mary Queen of Scots and The Favourite) and the music score nominees include Alexandre Desplat, a composer who already has two Academy awards under his belt for The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) and The Shape of Water (2017) and therefore is a likely frontrunner for this year's win.
As for Best Picture, whether it will win or not, I'm inclined to say it won't. That's not to discredit this film's genuinely amazing quality but I would say that, because of its reliance on CGI-cluttered action sequences and sometimes shoe-horned humour, it falls behind the other nominees in terms of Academy standards.
Overall rating: 8/10
- K
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