Every year, the cinematography of certain features are anointed as awards-worthy from the moment they hit the screen. In some cases, it’s warranted; in others, not so much. And every year, a few examples of genuinely outstanding work never get their due and end up lost in the shuffle.
Probably because I’m partial to underdogs, I usually find my favorites in the latter group. 2025 is no exception. By highlighting the look of two films virtually no one has seen, I hope to influence awards voters and help keep them from completely disappearing from our consciousness.
BETTER MAN (directed by Michael Gracey)
If ever there was a movie I’d choose not to watch based on the one-sheet, this was it. Nonetheless, I gave it a chance and within a few minutes I was not only charmed, I was wholly buying into the bizarre device used to tell the story of English singer Robbie Williams. Hats off to cinematographer Erik Wilson for his outstanding contribution. The unfolding of this tale is so unusual that none of it would have been effective without his consistently beautiful and appropriate imagery. This is no low-budget indy; plenty of money went into this wide-ranging effort. But the amazing visuals are what keep the expansiveness together.
THE ORDER (directed by Justin Kurzel)
In service of a conventional crime story, cinematographer Adam Arkapaw’s approach is appropriately dark and gritty. It’s also soft and inviting where it needs to be, and therein lies the secret of its appeal. We’ve seen this type of movie a thousand times, and though The Order is very well realized, it’s hard to bring anything new to the genre. Arkapaw has done exactly that, and best of all, he did it subtly, without banging the viewer over the head with it. I give him my highest compliment when I say that his work was a triumph of good taste. And that my friends, is the hardest thing to achieve in cinematography.
Oddly, my colleagues at the ASC – who, theoretically at least, are supposed to be of a refined understanding in these matters – neglected to nominate either film for this year’s Awards. Neither did the Academy, which is no surprise since ASC members dominate their Cinematographer Branch’s roster. So, what does this tell us? The studios ran lousy publicity campaigns? Voters missed Better Man and The Order during their short theatrical runs? Nonsense. Thanks to proprietary streaming capabilities, it has never been easier and more convenient to watch every eligible film if you’re a voting member of either organization. When the less obvious choices don’t come to you, your duty is to go out and find them.
I’m happy I did. Though they won’t be collecting any laurels, congratulations to Wilson and Arkapaw nonetheless. I hope this raises the awareness of their artistry, if only just a little.
Thanks for sharing.
I’m check them out.
Beautifully put. Looking forward to seeing more from these two DP’s.
While I agree that streaming gives us so many more possibilities to watch movies the realities of time management ( 180 movies on the Academy Viewing room and even more on the BAFTA room) combined with the publicity machines that do have an effect on what we are inclined to view, it is unavoidable that some of the best movies, and in particular the cinematography of them, will slip through the cracks and not be recognized. And then there are the ones that get the hype about being a new way of seeing or redefining the art of cinematography that are just publicity pushes. The movies that I have seen so far this awards period of which I preferred the cinematography are not mentioned in the nominations or your blog. Now that can make sense to me because we all see things differently and have our favorites. I can’t vote for a “best” movie because it is art and there is no “best”, just different . I will search out the two movies that you have suggested and keep looking for more unheralded ones.
Roberto – I thought of you while I was writing this post! Obviously, it’s near impossible to see every movie released each year. I’m just trying to highlight two that struck my fancy in particular. Also, as we do at the ASC with the Spotlight Award, sometimes we have to go a little above and beyond to find the hidden gems. As for doling out honors for artistic efforts or calling any one of them “the best,” yeah, that is pretty absurd, isn’t it? Thank you for reading and responding, brother!