The Blog
Saw this year's Oscar doc Twenty Feet from Stardom last night. It's about the back-vocal singers behind some of the best-known musicians and it is all right. What I can't understand is how can this film get the award in a competition with films like The Act of Killing and The Square. They are on a totally different level in so many ways...
To me the documentary Oscars are important as they have the power to put a spotlight on pressing global issues like one of the biggest crimes against humanity, which no one speaks of, or the complicated results of the Egyptian Revolution. Much like the comparison of the TIME magazine covers around the world and in the US, it seems like the Academy prefers the 'feel good' movies to the ones that really matter. Throwing in a few celebrities also seems to help a lot. The film has no narrative arch, no developed characters or special cinematography. I admit I was singing along as the soundtrack is amazing but I was expecting so much more.
Just a suggestion - maybe the time to add a new Oscar category of Foreign Documentary has come?
