By StreetWise vendors
The 91st Academy Awards is set for this Sunday when, as usual, the glitz and glamour of Hollywood and beyond will turn out to honour the people behind some of the biggest films of the last year. We know the contenders, we know the favourites, the movies that have tailed off in their campaigns, and the opinions of fans and critics. But what of the views of street paper vendors? As has become an annual tradition, Chicago’s StreetWise asked a selection of its vendors to watch all of this year’s ‘Best Picture’ nominees and give their own take.
***SPOILER ALERT: Vendors delved into the intricacies of plots and themes in their reviews, so if you would rather not know what happens in any of the films nominated for the ‘Best Picture’ Oscar this year, save this for after you’ve caught up.
The Vendor Judging Panel
Pictured: A.Allen, Amos Lee, Anton Cooper, Donald Morris, Joanne Brevogle, John Hicks, Lee Holmes, Michael Dunbar, Robert, Tony Sanders, V.W.
Not Pictured: Daniel, Dr. Battlefield, Jarvis, Jeffery, J.J., John Hagan, Robert
Black Panther
7 nominations
Best Picture
Best Costume Design
Best Music (Original Score)
Best Music (Original Song) – ‘All the Stars’
Best Production Design
Best Sound Editing
Best Sound Mixing
Donald
Black Panther was okay. It shows you that everyone has to pay for their crimes. Killmonger was saying that he would rather die than go to jail, but it’s wrong to kill a king in his kingdom and expect to get away without being punished. T’Challa had to straighten out the things that Killmonger was doing in his kingdom. The film shows a lot, but it ties back to all of Marvel, going back to the beginning. It shows how important it is to be a king, because the kingdom follows you and you are then responsible for everyone in the kingdom. I think the character of Black Panther represents a lot, and understanding that is an important aspect of understanding the overall movie. This movie breaks the mold that is typically seen in Oscar-nominated films because the actors were all African American and they even had to visit some countries in Africa to learn about different aspects of the culture that is incorporated into the movie.
J.J.
I thought Black Panther was kind of a combination of several other movies. It was medieval-gladiator like, but it was also modern and futuristic at times. I saw a review that gave it 3.5 stars, but I don’t know if I would give it that many. There was a lot going on in the movie. I’ve seen it twice now and I’m still confused at times. It is interesting, but it just seems to skip around a lot, especially when it goes between Wakanda and the US. I wouldn’t be surprised if it wins an award though, because a lot of people seem to like it.
The Favourite
10 nominations
Best Picture
Best Actress in a Leading Role – Olivia Colman
Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Emma Stone
Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Rachel Weisz
Best Cinematography
Best Costume Design
Best Directing
Best Film Editing
Best Production Design
Best Writing (Original Screenplay)
Michael
This movie reminds me of Dynasty before Dynasty was even created. I liked the rivalry between the second [Rachel Weisz] and the third [Emma Stone]. Eventually it flipped over; the third became second and the second became third and she had to leave. It was a very interesting movie with a lot of action, a lot of thrills. Yeah, it was Oscar-worthy because of the acting and the soundtrack.
Donald
I think The Favourite was a good movie about Queen Anne, 16th century through 1714. She was an awesomely wise woman. She knew how to keep England together. In spite of all the different antics others pulled under her command, she pretty well came out on the top of the heap. It was a great movie. She did her thing. I’m glad to see she did rule England well. It was about the struggle for power.
Dr. Battlefield
It was quite enlightening as to what was going on in that particular era.
Robert
I liked the competition between the first and second, how they flipped it. How the first/second lied to get the spot. You see it all the time. It was about power. You’re going for a job and you find another woman fighting for the position. You do something dirty.
BlacKkKlansman
6 nominations
Best Picture
Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Adam Driver
Best Directing
Best Film Editing
Best Music (Original Score)
Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
Jarvis
It was messed up psychologically. Those protests usually happen when they get into fighting. I’ve been to protests before and I’ve seen the same things before. They’re trying to send a message to us, but it’s something that we usually don’t see.
Tony
I think the racism in the film was the major thing. The only thing that can stop racism is from each individual, because they dislike society and everything. It starts from parents’ homes, growing up. It’s up to the parents from the beginning when they raise their child to become a citizen of the US, or any country they reside in. The way of stopping [racism] is within each individual and their own opinions. The movie portrayed that. The movie should get an Oscar for that. I can relate to the black man that got an unfair trial, and after they found him guilty, they took him and hung him instead of going through the proper procedure of imprisonment. They killed him and that’s what’s going on in our history, our race. It’s still going like that. Just recently the actor on Empire [was recently attacked in Chicago], and it’s hatred. And there’s nothing done and it hasn’t been stopped.
Donald
Well, America is still a seasoned pot, it’s still getting ready to burn, they still like civil war whether they like to be or not, they are still asking questions and they answer them too, not just to the president of the US, but also to the president of the NAACP and the rest of them. The civil rights movement – they all need to sit on the right side of the table instead of the wrong side of the table. There are differences, America is not a fairytale land, but the matter is that there is no peace on the streets. The bottom line is until they get us to investigate what they’re doing – these white supremacist groups have secret plans outside. Whatever they’re doing, we want to hear it too. We need to do everything we can to keep ourselves together. That’s why they held an upside down flag at the end of the movie! The country is not balanced. You can say that it’s balanced all you want, but America is not great. There is no mercy in America. We are a long way from a kinder, gentler America.
J.J.
The movie grew in intensity and had a very strong finish. Certainly, implications were there. It meant a lot to a whole lot of people. I would give this movie a 10/10. I don’t know if it is Oscar-worthy, but it was certainly in the top 10. I see a connection in the struggle, the overall struggle that people go through and have to face, and some of it may be racial, some of it may be economic, and that’s what makes it a good place to be alive. It shows that there is grace and emotion, graciousness and gratitude in certain genres with economical and racial differences.
Amos
I enjoyed BlacKkKlansman, Black Panther and Green Book. I think BlacKkKlansman deserves the Academy Award. They are trying to change the diversity of the Academy, and this win would prove that. If I had to rate BlacKkKlansman, I would give it 10 out of 5 stars. I thought the movie was eye-opening, like other Spike Lee films. He’s always on the cutting edge. I think Ron Stallworth was brave for going through an investigation like that and it was interesting to see it play out in the movie. The movie relates to a lot of issues today, where people are afraid to come forward about something in fear of their own safety.
Lee
It was a very interesting movie. The way he came into becoming a police officer and the way he came to a member of the Klan. It kind of reminds me of the first black FBI agent. The way he came into the Klan, you look at it as fate. The way it played out was interesting. I kinda like Spike Lee but I am not really keen about him. It kinda seemed like he had some mixing with the past and present. [The ending] was very interesting. I’ll think about it a little more. I give it a 10. And it should win an Oscar, I doubt that it does, but it should.
Anton
This is my first time seeing the movie and it was very interesting. I enjoyed it very much. And it gave me a lot to think about what was going on back then and what is going on today. It’s a little similar to today, not as bad as it was, but still similar to what is going on right now.
Robert
I liked BlacKkKlansman. I was trying to figure out which of them were Klansmen and who were undercover, but I’m glad Flip [Adam Driver] didn’t get himself in too deep like a lot of undercover agents do. It takes a lot of courage to go undercover. I would give the movie 100 out of 5 stars. I thought it was relevant to our everyday lives and tells a bigger story about being aware of our own safety.
V.W.
I thought that BlacKkKlansman had Oscars written all over it. There was so much emotion and feeling displayed that I was able to enjoy it a lot more. It was also suspenseful and made me look forward to continue watching it. I think that the movie will win some of the awards that it’s nominated for. After watching the movie, I had a lot of questions about the book and what really happened in the end. I would give the movie 5 out of 5 stars. The history of hate and injustice was really valuable and the movie shows us that we have to be aware of these issues. This movie was a great way to display that.
Green Book
5 nominations
Best Picture
Best Actor in a Leading Role – Viggo Mortensen
Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Mahershala Ali
Best Film Editing
Best Writing (Original Screenplay)
John Hagan
I found it similar to Vice, if only for one reason: the lawyer for the pianist was an Attorney General who was in politics. I thought it was fascinating how they went from the deep South to the snowy North. The music was good too, it was a way for white and black people to interact with each other during that time.
Donald
Don Shirley did a great job, but his driver was a really interesting individual. He got Shirley to all of these events and all the way to New York safely. He turned out to maybe be his best friend. He ended up being a “Romeo” of sorts to his wife through the letters he sent her. I thought it was very inspirational and real. No matter how the situations worked out, they found solutions. It was a great picture. When he could listen to Jerry Lee Lewis, then play just like Jerry Lee Lewis, that blew my mind! They should go ahead and give him a statue!
V.W.
Ooooh… I loved that movie, I give it 5 stars! The relationship between the driver, who was an Italian hoodlum, and Don, I think they moved each other. He was a great musician and he needed protection. I think the Italian guy wanted to go legit, he could have worked with his family and made more money, but I think he wanted to change his life for his wife and family’s sake. He had a reading problem and Don helped him with it, and Don had so much talent it really impressed him. He had a way of helping Don in return, and he popped up at that house when he was needed. I was impressed that it was based on a true story!
Amos
I enjoyed the movie because they broke down their differences, the racial prejudice and misunderstanding of the country as they travelled. There was mistrust because people didn’t want to see a white guy driving a black guy, Things have changed since then, but a lot of things still need to change. I used to work at an Italian restaurant and they taught me how to make cappuccinos and I picked up a little Italian, so I understood some of the terms and differences between the cultures. I work in a Vietnamese restaurant now, and they teach me about their culture too. I really want to see Crazy Rich Asians too; I think it will be fascinating.
A.Allen
I thought that this was a very interesting movie. I saw BlacKkKlansman, which was very interesting and Black Panther… It is a great demonstration about how the paths of whites and blacks cross, and the outcome. With this particular movie, it was a good crossing and a good outcome and we can learn a lot from a movie. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so a motion picture is worth more than that! The outcome was that we are all the same. It definitely deserves Academy Awards because it is relatable and it has a thing to it… like Rodney King, “Can’t we all just get along?”
J.J.
I thought this was an excellent movie, and is absolutely deserving of awards. Definitely Oscar-worthy. This is a well done movie, and the fact that it is a true story is even that much more relevant. Usually Viggo Mortensen plays a hero, or common character. I’ve never seen Viggo Mortensen play a dumb Italian guy, he was awesome. He had a whole lot of heartfelt emotion, he wasn’t smart enough but the piano player helped him and he helped the piano player in ways I related to it. I’m kind of alone. I don’t mind that I’m not supporting a family, I’m not out for weeks at a time supporting the kids. It’s not back in the 50s or 60s.
Vice
8 nominations
Best Picture
Best Actor in a Leading Role – Christian Bale
Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Sam Rockwell
Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Amy Adams
Best Directing
Best Film Editing
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Best Writing (Original Screenplay)
John Hicks
The movie was presented to us as real life but it didn’t have all the real facts. During the time that [George] Bush and [Dick] Cheney were in office, we know that things were heavier. You don’t really feel like you lived it. The acting was alright. The guy who played Dick Cheney [Christian Bale] was pretty good. The guy who did Bush [Sam Rockwell] was also pretty good. Colin Powell [Tyler Perry] was not very good. [Donald] Rumsfeld was rougher in real life than he was in the movie. Bush was not running the White House. Bush had a history. Every company that he ran failed. I don’t think that this movie will make a lot of money.
V.W.
The torture of the men, the brutality just to get someone to tell the secrets. The tactic is awful. President Bush was nervous. I’ve heard people say crooked things about him and that he knew about 9/11. The government is something spooky. Be aware that as citizens we have rights and we can vote for the powers that we have. If we see wrong, we are supposed to report wrong. I don’t think that it will win but keep it in the running. I can’t say it was a bad movie. It’s still important because it informs us about what is going on. The torture in this movie made me glad that I didn’t go into the military. I knew that I wasn’t made for it. Some people enjoy the military and make a career out of it. The movie was very informative about our government system and Dick Cheney’s love of his work/career. You were able to see and learn about it instead of having to read about it.
Joanne
I thought that it was a sad movie. It wasn’t full of adventure whether or not that was men or women. It was boring and business. The politicians didn’t act like they were happy about the seat that they were in. I guess when they ran for office and they found out what they had to do, they were not really happy about it. I do think that it was still worth a nomination. It talks about how these politicians got into government and how they ran the government. I think that there was only one man running the government and they didn’t feel too comfortable about it. They were always sad and you never saw a smile on their faces. They were always business and never stopped being business. We need one person to go in there and cheer them all up.
John Hagan
It was very interesting. I have been a history buff all of my life, not just politics, but sports and many other things. I wanted to take the chance to watch the movie because I wanted to see how Dick Cheney started his life: all the way from being a frat boy to a distinguished politician. I liked it a lot. The coolest part was when they were working with Gerald Ford. The most dramatic part is when his daughter comes out as a lesbian. I believe it is award-worthy because of the story line. The acting was pretty good too.
Dr. Battlefield
It is about the Republican party and President George W. Bush and VP Dick Cheney. It was alright. It does give you an in-depth look into the world of politics and how Republicans did things then. I don’t know if it is worth an award, it is hard to get them now. I would rate it 3 or 4 stars.
A Star is Born
8 nominations
Best Picture
Best Actor in a Leading Role – Bradley Cooper
Best Actress in a Leading Role – Lady Gaga
Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Sam Elliott
Best Cinematography
Best Music (Original Song) – ‘Shallow’
Best Sound Mixing
Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
Daniel
The message I got was that she was his only love and he didn’t want anyone else in the world. He made her out as strong and I think he didn’t want to play second fiddle and her manager say he want her to move on. He was in love with her and he don’t want to love nobody else. He wanted to end his life, it was his one and only love. That’s my take on it. It brought tears to my eyes.
John Hicks
He could’ve just left. He could’ve apologized. Made a public announcement. Anything except kill himself. Wasn’t like he was going to prison for life, or that he got caught doing something. The acting was pretty good. I liked it. I liked the way the dog was acting too. Pretty good.
Donald
My take is I would like to basically just erase all that was done before basically because Lady Gaga put a whole new picture together. Of course the guy who played the country singer was quite in depth, he reached deep inside of her. Hopefully, he did touch her the right way without leaving a bad taste in her mouth. I’m glad to see it does have Oscar rating to it, considering the fact that both of them were dramatized and both of them had pulled their heart and soul out. It was acting to the extreme and they outdid a lot of people and a lot of movies that I have seen, including Black Panther and BlacKkKlansman. All the movies did a great job, this had a little extra to it. I mean explosive extras, considering the fact it did explain everything from beginning to end.
V.W.
I give it 5 stars out of 5. It was so real, the Grammy Awards scene and the storyline about alcoholism and recovery and relapse. It was very inspiring and entertaining. I couldn’t help seeing Lady Gaga as a famous artist throughout the movie. I know the storyline had her as a basic person but I couldn’t help but see Star! Star! Star! Star is Born, Star is already born! The ending was sad. I think it will win.
Amos
I think it is worthy of an Oscar. It is going up against Roma, which has 10 nominations… But I think it will hold its own. Lady Gaga really pulled it off as an entertainer and a great singer. I didn’t know she could act so well. I would give it a 10 out of 10. It is reality-based. There were substance abuse problems, and they couldn’t be dealt with. Bradley Cooper actually had problems himself, so it showed in his performance. It was an excellent movie.
J.J.
I thought that A Star Is Born was well-directed and would be surprised if it doesn’t win at least one award. I thought it might be one of the best pictures of the year and that Bradley Cooper should have gotten nominated for Best Director. I wasn’t sure why it ended as dramatically as it did, so I might have to watch the original version. Finding out that the songs were all originals made the movie even better and I definitely expect the film to win at least an award for that. I was surprised by Lady Gaga in this film, she turned out to be a great actress. I think the movie is sending the message that alcoholism and drug addiction are very potent. To see this develop in the film was really heart-wrenching and the overall movie brought a sorrowful tear to my eye.
Joanne
I thought that A Star Is Born was a sad movie. I do think the movie could have a different title, even though it is a remake. The music in the movie was okay, it was a mix of country and pop/rock stuff. I enjoyed the last song that Lady Gaga sings at the concert, it had a nice beat to it. Both Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga were great actors and I think he deserves an award. The movie explained more about her character, but he was dealing with a lot of difficult things. However, I think her performance was really good as well. I think A Star Is Born is deserving of being in the running for Best Picture, but I’m not sure if it’ll win. I liked a lot of the movies that were nominated. I think the real star is Bradley Cooper’s character.
Roma
10 nominations
Best Picture
Best Actress in a Leading Role – Yalitza Aparicio
Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Marina de Tavira
Best Cinematography
Best Directing
Best Foreign Language Film
Best Production Design
Best Sound Editing
Best Sound Mixing
Best Writing (Original Screenplay)
V.W.
I enjoyed this. It was about life in Mexico, a year in the life of a maid and her relationship with her employer. It was interesting to see how close she was with the family and the children. They all loved her and she was part of the family. The family went through some hardships and I was concerned that they wouldn’t be able to keep her on as a maid. The family was concerned with the happiness of the maid too. She looked so serious throughout the movie, it was emotional. I wasn’t sure what the outcome of this movie was gonna be, but I liked it! I feel like I learned a little bit about Mexican culture in the ’70s too. I would say 5 stars.
Donald
It was a good movie. The setting in Mexico made me forget about the cold here for a little bit! There were many things that went on in the maid’s life and in the family’s life, and it was interesting to see the relationship change. The maid seemed to be able to bypass a lot of the negatives that were going on, and she reached for the best. It ended so good considering what she went through. I have to agree with VW, I am glad to see what happened and how it ended. Those were a lot of stairs to climb!
Jeffery
It was alright. I was trying to figure out what happened from the start. I feel like I have seen that movie.
Bohemian Rhapsody
5 nominations
Best Picture
Best Actor in a Leading Role – Rami Malek
Best Film Editing
Best Sound Editing
Best Sound Mixing
Michael
It was an excellent film. The way that the group stayed together. The lead singer was always himself. He was very creative and open. The actor who plays him deserves an Oscar, he was excellent. That is just my personal opinion.
Donald
The original singer before Freddie made the biggest and ultimate mistake by leaving. The new guy [Freddie] came in with some dreams and did something with it. He also made a mess of his life but came up with good solutions to the messes. He was honest about his mistakes and lived up to his own regrets. He gave in and let the group be themselves. The great thing about the movie and the thing that is going to make it win the Oscar is the fact that they let everyone know that they are champions and they are going to keep at it. We don’t give up just to give up. We give up because we are cowards. We are champions and we are going to keep on fighting. That’s what the whole picture spelled out. You stay in the fight and don’t give up the war. So what, you’re losing battles? Win the war, not the battles. Don’t worry about the battles, they take care of themselves. You’re not going to win every argument and you’re not going to have the answers to every problem. You got to reach to someone else, including the people in your group to get answers.
Dr. Battlefield
I loved it! It was excellent in its entirety. I was a fan of Queen before the movie. I used to play their music all of the time. Their music was just a jam.
J.J.
I think it was a very well put together biopic of Freddie Mercury. I think they could have taken a little more time putting together the lip syncing. It was really bad watching the songs. I think the actor did some himself but I am amazed they would have released that. Terrible lip syncing as far as the studio version was involved but otherwise it’s a shame what happened to Freddie Mercury but they handled it quite well. I’m very glad they put his last concert into the show. I wish they had shown more of the band breakup prior to its reinstitution for Live Aid. Rami Malek certainly has the look. I don’t know that I would give him an Oscar just because he has the Freddie Mercury look.
