Modern movies that should've gotten costume design nods
As I was watching the very enjoyable God Help The Girl, I couldn't help but admire the costumes. Then I remembered how Oscar only bites at period pieces or fantasy films. Rarely do they reward (or even nominate) modern films for costumes. Sometimes the every day looks are a work of brilliance in their own right. I wish I could remember the costume designer that won a few years ago that said "Well, I have a few of these" then proceeded to point out how modern films never get the recognition they deserves. I couldn't find the quote for the life of me.
Any who, here are some present day films that had awesome costumes, but sadly didn't get recognized. (Or in God Help The Girl's case, most likely won't get recognized.)
Any who, here are some present day films that had awesome costumes, but sadly didn't get recognized. (Or in God Help The Girl's case, most likely won't get recognized.)
God Help The Girl
The Bling Ring
Kill Bill Vol. 1
Thirteen*
(500) Days of Summer
*Thirteen might seem like an odd choice, but this film is genius. I was that awful, moody teenager that made shitty decisions like these girls did, and everything they wore was so spot on. All the camis, the safety pins on their shirts and pants, wrist bands, drawing on their tennis shoes. That was all me.
Thirteen is such an underrated teen movie though.. there's so many out there these days but they rarely have the severity this one had. Besides, Nikki Reed should get more credit for co-writing it.
ReplyDeleteI agree 100% That film will always been one of my all time favorites.
DeleteYes, it's ridiculous that you've got to be in a period piece or ridiculous fantasy outfit to win to even get nominated. Btw, "Clueless" is another that should've been given some recognition...
ReplyDeleteYes, Clueless! Perhaps if they would've gotten an Oscar win Contempo Casuals wouldn't have gone bankrupt. lol
DeleteOh... I can't argue with these choices! Hell yeah I would nominate these films in costumes. Period costumes often win but I think modern costumes often add some personality to their films.
ReplyDeleteThey definitely do!
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ReplyDeleteAww I love 500 Days! I really thought Bling Ring had a chance since they used such high end fashion. I guess not.
DeleteOMG, The Bling Ring!!!! Those costumes were insanely inspired and should have been up for Oscar, for sure! It is a shame that they are so often overlooked. The last one I remember being nominated was The Devil Wears Prada...
ReplyDeleteThey don't get nominated enough! I would love it if God Help The Girl managed one this year. I'll be happy to come back and edit this post lol.
DeleteGod Help the Girl is such a great example! The costumes are such a part of what sells the fairy-tale experience of the band coming together. Loved it!
ReplyDeleteBeautifully put!
DeleteInteresting picks here, seems that the modern films often get overlooked in this category in favor of period dramas. I do like Zooey's clothes in (500) Days of Summer!
ReplyDeleteThey do, and it really sucks because so many are great.
DeleteGreat picks and such an interesting post, Brittani! Loved the costume design for the Bling Ring. It was great to see Emma Watson really take on Nikki. I want all of Zooey's outfits from 500 Days of Summer too. :)
ReplyDeleteEveryone was on point in The Bling Ring.Those outfits were fabulous.
DeleteInteresting idea and quite good choices here. Probably the reason they mostly nominate period/fantasy films is the complexity of creating costumes for them. I mean, I love God Help The Girl costumes, they are very stylish and up to date. But, the same time, they are very common, kind of outfit a lot teenager actually wears nowadays. As for period/fantasy outfits, they need a lot work, including research and full creation of actual cloths. And since Oscars is about recognizing most outstanding [aka hard] work of each nominee, they go with more complex choices.
ReplyDeleteThat's true, but at the same time they shouldn't ignore the hard work of the modern costume designers that have to go out and still find all these clothes to best suit the characters. That isn't easy either.
DeleteGreat addition of The Bling Ring in your list...so reminiscent of our time, plus I loved the movie :)
ReplyDeleteThanks! I recently rewatched it again and enjoyed it even more. I'm glad I bought the DVD.
DeleteNicely done. That reminds me: I still need to watch God Help the Girl.
ReplyDeleteThank you! :) I hope you like it. It's so sweet.
DeleteLOVE this. Seriously, why are modern-set films so rarely nominated for Best Costume? The Bling Ring and Thirteen are two perfect candidates. I love the threads in those flicks.
ReplyDeleteThis is why I take issue with some of these categories, because they are all about the individual effort, as opposed to WHAT the effort says about the film and/or the characters. For example, the tank tops Marion Cotillard wears throughout Two Days, One Night tell us more about her character than any monologue. Sure, they probably only cost $20 total at Target, but they inform the audience as to who this person is. To me, that's what is most important. Not who spent the most money to buy/create the biggest clothes for period films.
Well said! A lot of the things Evan Rachel Wood and Nikki Reed wore were their own clothing, but they were still perfect for the characters and deserve the attention.
DeleteThen there's the fact that the stuff the characters wore in God Help The Girl was probably really hard to find. They should take that into account too.
I love 500 Days of Summer and the costuming no doubt contributes to the overall look of the film.
ReplyDeleteAgreed! I think it helped set Summer apart from the other women.
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